Dumas leads late surge to help Gold Rush beat Loyola
For immediate release . . . January 13, 2007
Box Score

NEW ORLEANS — Sophomore guard Shaun Dumas had 19 points and 10 assists Saturday and led a key second-half surge which powered Xavier to an 83-71 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Loyola at The Barn.

The Gold Rush (8-7 overall, 1-4 GCAC) snapped a four-game losing streak and defeated the Wolfpack (3-11, 0-4) for the eighth consecutive time. Xavier leads the series 21-2.

Xavier led 62-60 with 6:05 remaining before pulling away with a 16-3 run that included five points and three assists from Dumas during the next four minutes. Dumas also had seven steals in the game.

Kelechi Okoroha led the Gold Rush with 20 points. Mark Stewart scored 18, all on 3-pointers, and Alfred Williams had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Rashaad Lewis, in his second game after rejoining Xavier at midterm, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots.

Mario Faranda tied career highs of 27 points and 13 rebounds for Loyola. Luke Zumo scored 15 points, and James Bunn had 11.

Loyola shot 50 percent from the floor and got 17 points from Faranda to build a 40-38 halftime lead. But Xavier opened the second half with a 8-2 run during the first four minutes and never lost the lead again.

Xavier made a season-high 11 3-point baskets for the second time in three games and has scored 30 times from behind the arc in the last three contests.

Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. next Saturday against GCAC opponent Belhaven in The Barn.