Andrew's free throws beat SUNO, give Xavier 20th win
January 29, 2011

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Devin Andrew scored 17 points Saturday, including two free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining, to lift NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 56-54 men's basketball victory over SUNO at The Castle.
     The Gold Rush (20-2, 2-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) have won six straight. Xavier has beaten SUNO (7-9, 2-1) 12 straight times, the last five against its former coach, Dale Valdery.
     Andre Davis fouled Andrew on a drive to the basket after the Knights' Recardo Porter tied the score with a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining. After Andrew made his free throws — he was 10-of-10 for the game — Porter missed a 2-pointer at the buzzer.
     Andrew, Xavier's only double-figure scorer, had 15 second-half points and finished with his highest total since late November.
     Porter scored 12 points, and Davis and Anner Arce had 11 apiece for SUNO. Christopher Palmer grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Knights outrebound the Gold Rush 41-36.
     The Gold Rush limited SUNO to six points in the first 14 minutes and led 21-16 at halftime. Xavier took its biggest lead, 32-19, on Kevin Miller's basket with 16:20 remaining. But SUNO gained the lead four times in the final seven minutes, the last at 50-49 on Arce's basket at 1:41.
     Xavier committed a season-low 11 turnovers and outshot SUNO 34.6 to 32.1 percent from the floor. The Gold Rush limited Brent Leduff (SUNO-leading 19.2 average) to a season-low five points on 1-of-15 from the floor.
     Xavier reached 20 victories for the 26th time, which extends its Louisiana men's basketball record.
     The next Gold Rush game will start at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against Belhaven — the last team to beat Xavier — at The Barn. SUNO will play host to William Carey at 7:30 p.m. Monday.