Okoroha's double-double helps Xavier beat HTU 74-67
November 7, 2008

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Senior forward Kelechi Okoroha collected 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 74-67 men's basketball victory over Huston-Tillotson at The Barn.
     The Gold Rush is 3-0 for the seventh conseutive season and 4-0 against Huston-Tillotson over the past three seasons. It was the Rams' opener.
     Okoroha, who recorded the third double-double of his career, scored four points and assisted on a basket during a 15-3 run which turned a tie at 50 into a 65-53 Xavier lead with 4:47 remaining.
     Huston-Tillotson cut the Rush lead to 68-64 on Robert Hartfield's 3-pointer at 1:57 but drew no closer.
     Devin Andrew and Dannie Woods added 10 points apiece for Xavier. Okoroha grabbed 10 second-half rebounds.
     Hartfield and Gabe Haskins scored 19 points apiece for the Rams, and James Black scored 12. Hartfield scored 13 in the first half.
     A Haskins basket at 10:28 of the first half capped a 12-2 HTU run and gave the Rams their biggest lead, 25-16. But Olumide Olafioye scored seven points in the final 3½ minutes to rally Xavier to a 40-36 halftime lead. HTU never led in the second half.
     Xavier outshot the Rams 48 to 37 percent from the floor — 48 to 29 percent in the second half — and outrebounded them 37-34. The Rush committed 21 turnovers — the third straight game Xavier had 20 or more — but gained 26.
     Xavier's next game will be a 7 p.m. Tuesday exhibition against Southern University at Baton Rouge, La. Huston-Tillotson will remain in New Orleans and play Loyola at 4 p.m. Sunday.