Olafioye punishes Panthers with career-high 27 points
For immediate release . . . November 27, 2006
Box Score

NEW ORLEANS — Freshman guard Olumide Olafioye scored 21 of his career-high 27 points in the first half Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to an 89-64 men's basketball victory against Philander Smith in The Barn.

Kelechi Okoroha added a career-high 17 points for the Gold Rush (5-1). Mark Stewart scored 15 and Shaun Dumas 11.

Johnny Lewis scored 17 points, Wesley Henry 14, Darren Jamison 12 and Bobby Green 10 for Philander Smith (1-8), which has an eight-game losing streak.

Olumide entered the game at 16:12 of the first half with Xavier leading 3-2, then scored the Gold Rush's next nine points in four minutes. He needed just 10 minutes to reach 21 points by halftime, when Xavier led 44-27.

"I liked the way Olumide was aggressive around the basket," Xavier Coach Dannton Jackson said. "He's been starting to feel more comfortable in practice, and it was good to see him feel that way in a game."

Xavier's lead never dipped below 15 points in the second half, and the 25-point final margin matched the Rush's largest of the game.

The Rush had 21 assists and shot 58.5 percent from the floor, 52.9 percent from 3-point range and 75 percent from the line — all season bests. Olumide was 9 of 13 from the floor, and Okoroha was 6 of 8. Dumas and freshman Michael Ruffin each had five assists, and Ruffin had six of Xavier's 15 steals.

Philander Smith, which never led, shot 37.5 percent from the floor. Lewis, who attended Abramson High School in New Orleans, led the Panthers with eight rebounds.

Aaron Burgess led Xavier with nine rebounds, his second highest total of the season, and the Rush outrebounded the Panthers 36-28.

Xavier committed 24 turnovers, two more than the Panthers, and surpassed 20 for the third straight game.

"I want us to be more aggressive offensively, but we've got to cut down on our mistakes," Jackson said.

Xavier, which extended its home winning streak to eight games, will play Huston-Tillotson at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Barn. Philander Smith will travel to Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a 7 p.m. game Friday.