Gold Rush wins, improves to 10-1
For immediate release . . . December 29, 2007
Box Score

KINGSVILLE, Texas — Jarrel Lake and Kelechi Okoroha scored 12 points apiece Saturday to lead five double-figure scorers for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 72-54 men's basketball victory over Texas A&M International in the opening game of the Texas A&M-Kingsville Holiday Tournament.

Alfred Williams and Shaun Dumas scored 11 points apiece for the Gold Rush (10-1), ranked 11th in NAIA Division I, and Mark Stewart had 10. Williams was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and the sixth of his career.

Reserve Tracy Johnson scored a season-high 13 points for Texas A&M International (3-5), an NCAA Division II member. Chris Swan, who entered the game averaging 20.6 points and shooting 54 percent from the floor, scored a season-low 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. Swan was scoreless in 14 first-half minutes.

Xavier never trailed and outscored the Dustdevils 15-4 in the first seven minutes. The Rush led 29-19 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for nearly 18 minutes of the second half.

Xavier outshot TAMIU 49 to 38 percent from the floor — 65 to 43 percent in the second half — and outrebounded the Dustdevils 39-30. Both teams committed 18 turnovers.

The Rush is 10-1 for the third time in five seasons and the first time since 2003-04. Xavier has a four-game winning streak and has won 25 of its past 29 games.

Xavier will play Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Sunday in the final game of the tournament. The Javelinas defeated Huston-Tillotson 86-68 in the second game Saturday.