Lake, Dumas push Xavier past SCAD
For immediate release . . . December 1, 2007
Box Score

NEW ORLEANS — Jarrel Lake scored 23 points Saturday to tie his season high, and Shaun Dumas added a season-best 18 points to rally Xavier University of Louisiana to a 69-62 men's basketball victory over Savannah College of Art and Design in the final game of the adidas Hardwood Classic at The Barn.

The Gold Rush (8-1) went 2-0 in the event and is 7-0 at home. Xavier ended the two-game winning streak of the Bees (3-6), who were 1-1 in the event.

Xavier trailed 25-24 at halftime, then Lake and Dumas combined for 31 of the Gold Rush's 45 second-half points. Dumas had all five of his steals in the second half and converted those into 10 points -- four baskets he scored and a pass to Lake for the another basket.

Kelechi Okoroha made two free throws with 4:48 remaining to put Xavier ahead to stay at 54-52.

Mark Stewart scored 17 points for Xavier, and Alfred Williams had seven points, six rebounds and five assists.

Tim Stammen scored 19 points, Xavier Blain-Cruz 13 and Eze Andrews 11 for SCAD. Andrews grabbed nine rebounds, and Blain-Cruz had four steals. Kevin Polit had six assists.

The first half had eight lead changes, and a Blain-Cruz basket with 33 seconds remaining gave SCAD its one-point lead at the break.

Xavier outshot SCAD 50 to 46 percent from the floor.

Southern University of New Orleans defeated Spalding 54-53 in the first game Saturday.

Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Barn against Texas Wesleyan, the 2006 NAIA Division I national champion.