Tougaloo beats Xavier 69-64 in matchup of ranked teams
January 23, 2012

Box score

     TOUGALOO, Miss. — Marquise Mems scored Tougaloo's final 11 points and finished with 26 Monday in the Bulldogs' 69-64 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
     The Bulldogs (14-5 overall, 5-1 GCAC) snapped the four-game win streak of the Gold Rush (14-6, 5-2) and took over first place in the conference. Tougaloo is ranked 24th in NAIA Division I, and Xavier is 19th.
     Mems made two free throws with 42 seconds remaining to put Tougaloo ahead to stay, 64-62. Mems and Juan Gray then had steals which led to baskets and capped a half in which there were 10 ties and seven lead changes.
     Wanto Joseph made two free throws with 3:50 remaining to give Xavier its final lead, 56-55. The Gold Rush gained a tie at 62 when Chris Iles made a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining.
     Iles and Joseph scored 10 points apiece.
     Donteeno Todd scored 13 points for Tougaloo, and Gray had 10. Mems grabbed 11 rebounds and had four steals.
     Xavier outshot Tougaloo 39.6 to 36 percent but the floor, but the Bulldogs had advantages of 9-4 in made 3-pointers, 24-18 in made free throws and 38-30 in rebounds. Mems and Todd each made three 3-pointers.
     Tougaloo led 33-32 at halftime and won at home against Xavier for the sixth consecutive season. Overall the Bulldogs won eight of the past 10 meetings.
     Xavier will play Dillard at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at The Barn.