Gold Rush earn season split with Mustangs

NEW ORLEANS — Brian White tied a season high with 15 points Saturday and was one of four double-figure scorers for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 76-58 Red River Athletic Conference men’s basketball victory against Southwest (N.M.).

White — a 5-foot-6 fifth-year guard and a graduate transfer from NCAA Division I Northwestern State — scored 11 to help the Gold Rush (12-6 overall, 7-4 RRAC) build a 38-28 halftime lead.

Xavier Reaves had 14 points and eight rebounds for XULA, and Jathen Ross and Lance Williams scored 11 apiece. Ross reached double figures for the first time this season.

Jahvonta Irons scored 12 points for the Mustangs (9-10, 5-7), and Jamell Bradley and Tra Thomas scored 10 apiece.

XULA outshot the Mustangs 46.6 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 41-26. XULA’s eight made 3’s and nine blocked shots were season bests. Ross made a career-high-tying three 3-pointers, and White and Williams made two apiece. Chris Ward blocked four shots — matching the most in a game by a XULA player this season — and Cory Wells blocked three.

XULA won for the sixth time in its last eight games, and Southwest has lost seven of its last eight. XULA avenged a 60-57 loss at Southwest from Dec. 3 when the Mustangs rallied from a 15-point deficit in the final nine minutes.

Next for XULA: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Louisiana Christian in an RRAC game. The Gold Rush are in fourth place in the conference behind LSU-Shreveport (10-3 RRAC), Texas A&M-Texarkana (9-4) and LSU-Alexandria (7-4).