Loyola takes control in second half to defeat Gold Rush
January 25, 2010

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Sean Bennett scored 17 points Monday, and Loyola rallied in the second half to defeat Xavier University of Louisiana 69-62 in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball game at The Barn.
     The Wolfpack (12-6 overall, 4-3 GCAC) used an 18-2 run over 9½ minutes to erase Xavier's biggest lead, 48-39. Darrinton Moncrieffe's basket — his only points of the game — with 9:25 remaining put Loyola ahead to stay, 51-50.
     Torry Beaulieu added 12 points and Corey Gray 10 for the Wolfpack. Loyola's Ryan Brock, the GCAC scoring leader, had a season-low six points, but they all came on free throws in the final three minutes to help protect the lead.
     Freshman DeRonn Scott scored a career-high 13 points and tied a career best of six assists for Xavier (10-9, 1-6), and Devin Andrew scored 11. The Gold Rush has lost three in a row and seven of eight and is 0-3 in GCAC home games. Xavier has not won a home game since Dec. 4.
     Andrew scored seven in the first half to lead Xavier to a 38-37 lead at the break.
     The key statistical difference was at the free-throw line, where Loyola outscored Xavier 17-10. Both teams made 23 field goals and six 3-pointers, and Xavier outshot the Wolfpack 49 to 46 percent from the floor.
     It's the first time in Xavier's 28 seasons of GCAC competition that the Gold Rush started 1-6 in the conference.
     Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at The Barn against Belhaven, the GCAC leader and up eight spots to No. 12 in the NAIA Division I coaches poll released Monday.