Gold Rush holds on for homecoming win against Wiley
November 21, 2009

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Michael Harvey's basket with three minutes remaining broke a tie and put Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay Saturday in a 60-58 men's basketball victory against Wiley.
     Devin Andrew led the Gold Rush (5-1) in its homecoming game with a season-high-tying 16 points. Jamaan Kenner scored a career-high 12, and Harvey had 11.
     Harvey's basket gave Xavier a 58-56 lead, then Andrew passed to Kenner for a basket that made it 60-56 with 24 seconds remaining. Wiley's Marquis Wright scored the game's final two points and was fouled with 20 seconds remaining, but he missed the free throw.
     After Andrew missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 11 seconds remaining, Wiley missed a pair of 3-point attempts in the final five seconds.
     Alexander Cossey scored 12 points for Wiley (1-5), which lost its fourth in a row. Ronald Tolbert and Nathaniel Evans scored 11 apiece, and Wright had 10. Evans, who entered with an NAIA Division I-leading 12 rebounds per game, grabbed nine to lead the Wildcats.
     Wiley led 29-27 at halftime and 44-38 after Tolbert made a 3-pointer with 13:13 remaining. But the Rush answered with a 14-2 run — including consecutive 3-pointers by Harvey — to take a 52-46 lead at 7:55.
     Xavier won at The Barn for the 20th time in 23 attempts dating to February 2008.
     Wiley outshot Xavier 41 to 39 percent from the floor, but Xavier — with Cordell Hadnot and Denzell Erves grabbing nine rebounds apiece — had a 40-34 advantage on the boards. Both teams shot less than 60 percent from the line and missed a combined 20 free throws.
     The Rush defeated Wiley for the fourth straight season at home by three or fewer points.
     Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. Monday against Concordia (Ala.) at The Barn. Wiley's next game will be an exhibition next Saturday at Tarleton State.