Xavier again rallies for victory in second half
For immediate release . . . November 10, 2006
Box Score

NEW ORLEANS — Shaun Dumas scored 14 points, including the go-ahead basket with 3:27 remaining, and had seven assists to rally Xavier University of Louisiana to a 56-53 men's basketball victory against Wiley at The Barn.

Xavier is 3-0 for the fifth consecutive season. Wiley is 1-3.

The Gold Rush trailed 51-50 before scoring the next six points. In addition to his go-ahead basket, Dumas made two free throws during the run and passed to Kelechi Okoroha for a basket.

Alfred Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds for Xavier, which trailed 30-22 at halftime and 41-33 with 11:40 remaining. It was the second consecutive game that the Rush won after trailing at the break.

"We buckled down defensively in the second half, and I'm happy about that," Xavier Coach Dannton Jackson said. "We cut our turnovers from 10 in the first half to four in the second half, and we gave up just five offensive rebounds after giving up 13 the first half. That was big."

Freshmen Olumide Olafioye and T.J. Prince scored eight points apiece for Xavier. Prince scored all his points during nine second-half minutes.

"T.J. Prince played unbelievably," Jackson said. "He's growing up really fast. He's not the biggest player out there, but he's always working hard and always has a great attitude."

Darnell Adams scored 18 points and Michael Smith 11 for Wiley, which missed two 3-point field goals in the final 16 seconds.

Xavier outshot Wiley 40 to 36 percent from the field, but the Wildcats outrebounded the Rush 42-28. Wiley's Lael Johnson grabbed 10 rebounds.

Wiley limited Xavier's leading scorer, Mark Stewart, to six points on 2-of-7 shooting. "Mark did not have a good night shooting, but others stepped it up," Jackson said. "K.C. (Okoroha) and Ryan DeRousselle did a great job defensively."

Jackson is 6-0 against Wiley in four seasons.

Xavier will play the Webber International Warriors of Babson Park, Fla., at 6 p.m. next Friday (Nov. 17) in the University of Mobile Classic at Mobile, Ala. The Rush's next home game will start at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27 against Philander Smith.