Can’t keep up with this Jones: XULA rolls over Huston-Tillotson

NEW ORLEANS — It was more rarified air Thursday for TJ Jones as he dominated Huston-Tillotson in Xavier University of Louisiana’s 93-57 Red River Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory.

Jones — a 5-foot-8 graduate student playing his fifth XULA season because of an NAIA pandemic exemption — produced 25 points and 10 assists in 25 minutes. He became the third Gold Rush player with two 20-point, 10-assist games in one season, joining Michael Bright (1975-76) and 2022 XULA Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Alvin “Bo” Dukes (1981-82 and 1982-83).

The Gold Rush (20-5 overall, 15-4 RRAC) will play the home finale at 4 p.m. Saturday against RRAC opponent Our Lady of the Lake. Jones and at least five others — Corey Dunning, DJ Morgan, Glenn Rhone, Chris Ward and Cory Wells — will be honored in a senior-day ceremony.

More fun with numbers: Jones became the fifth Gold Rush player with 25 points and 10 assists in the same game. Shaun Dumas (2006-07), Dukes (1981-82), Joseph Lewis (1976-77) and Bright (1975-76) also accomplished that.

Not bad for a 5-foot-8 point guard who averaged six points per game in his first four XULA seasons. Thursday was Jones’ team-leading eighth 20-point game of 2023-24, and the 20/10 performance was his second in 17 days.

Jathen Ross made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for the Gold Rush, and Wells and Lance Williams scored nine apiece. Dunning grabbed eight rebounds, Williams had five assists, and Morgan blocked two shots.

Kon Chol scored 17 points and Charles Hallmon 15 for Huston-Tillotson (8-18, 6-14). The Rams, who dropped their fourth straight on the road, had only six available players because of injuries.

XULA outshot Huston-Tillotson 56.1 to 32.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Rams 41-30.

XULA reached 20 victories for the 36th time to extend its Louisiana men’s college basketball record. The Gold Rush are a 20-game winner for the third consecutive season and the 16th time in the last 21 seasons. This is Alfred Williams’ 13th 20-win season with the Gold Rush — three as a player, five as an assistant coach and his fifth in eight seasons as the current head coach.