Gold Rush grabs share of first place in GCAC
January 26, 2009

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Shaun Dumas scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half Monday to help Xavier University of Louisiana pull away for a 68-58 men's basketball victory over Mobile and a share of first place in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
     The Gold Rush (13-6 overall, 5-2 GCAC) won its fourth in a row and shares the top spot with LSU-Shreveport, Loyola and Tougaloo. Xavier will play Loyola at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Barn.
     Kelechi Okoroha added 15 points and Devin Andrew 11 for Xavier, which beat Mobile at The Barn for the first time in its past four attempts. Xavier tied the series at 24 victories apiece.
     Brock Dockery scored 16 points, Carlos Hughes 12 and Spencer Duke 10 for Mobile (11-7, 3-4), which has a three-game losing streak and is 0-6 on the road this season.
     Xavier led 29-27 at halftime, then outshot the Rams 52 to 32 percent from the floor in the second half. The Rush committed a season-low six turnovers.
     Dumas also led Xavier with five assists and three steals. Hughes had six assists but committed six of Mobile's 13 turnovers.
     For the game Xavier shot 48.9 percent from the floor and limited Mobile to 35.8 percent.
     Xavier's victory, coupled with Loyola's 82-74 home victory against LSUS and Tougaloo's 75-58 home victory against Spring Hill on Monday, created the four-way tie atop the GCAC. Dillard, one game behind the leaders, will play at LSUS on Thursday, and Tougaloo will travel to Belhaven.