Gold Rush on target, beats top-25 Delta State by 11
November 18, 2009

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Jeremy Mansel and Cordell Hadnot each had career highs of 14 points Wednesday to lead hot-shooting Xavier University of Louisiana to a 71-60 men's basketball victory over Delta State.
     The Gold Rush (4-1) shot a season-high 59.2 percent from the floor and limited the Statesmen to 32.7 percent in their opener. Delta State is No. 23 in the NABC's NCAA Division II preseason poll and 21st in Division II Bulletin's preseason ranking.
     Mansel, a freshman forward who entered the game averaging 1.5 points, was 7-of-7 from the floor and perfect in five second-half attempts.
     Devin Andrew added 12 points for Xavier, an NAIA member, and freshman Denzell Erves scored a career-high 10 in his first collegiate start.
     Marqueys Brown scored 12 points, 11 in the second half, to lead Delta State. Roderick Ollie and Joe McCray scored 11 points apiece.
     Erves' basket at 15:20 of the first half put Xavier ahead to stay at 8-6. The Gold Rush had 14-point leads in both halves and scored on its final seven possessions after Delta State cut Xavier's lead to 53-50 with 6:49 remaining.
     Andrew made all six of his free-throw attempts to increase his season streak to 23 in a row. He is 26-of-27 this season — 96.3 percent.
     Xavier outrebounded Delta State 32-30. Brown led the Statesmen with eight rebounds, and Hadnot grabbed a season-high eight for XU.
     Xavier will play Wiley at 2 p.m. Saturday in a homecoming doubleheader at The Barn. Delta State will remain in the city and play Loyola at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Den.