NAIA No. 8 Freed-Hardeman defeats No. 22 Gold Rush

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — In a matchup of NAIA top-25 men’s basketball teams, Freed-Hardeman defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 77-60 Monday at the Battle at The Beach.

Geraldo Lane scored 20 points for the Lions, 5-1 and ranked eighth, and Quan Lax had 12 points and nine assists. Jathen Ross scored 16 points, Jeremy Lindsey 14 and Cory Wells 12 for the Gold Rush, 3-1 and ranked 22nd.

Freed-Hardeman led 40-25 at halftime after shooting 56 percent from the floor and making seven 3-pointers. XULA’s only lead was 4-3, and the Lions never trailed after breaking a tie at 11.

The Lions increased their lead to 18 four times in the first 11 minutes of the second half. XULA’s Jeremy Lindsey scored seven points — including a 3-pointer and a dunk — during a 10-2 rally that cut Freed-Hardeman’s lead to 61-51 with 7:34 remaining, but the Gold Rush got no closer.

For the game the Lions produced 21 assists on 29 baskets and outshot the Gold Rush 61.7 to 43.1 percent from the floor. Ross and Lance Williams had three assists apiece for XULA, and Wells had three steals.

XULA will play its second and final game of this event at 5 p.m. CST Tuesday against Warner. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 against Texas College at the Convocation Center.

Battle at The Beach
Monday, Nov. 20
Florida College 85, SAGU 84
Texas A&M-Texarkana 73, Loyola (N.O.) 66
Freed-Hardeman 77, XULA 60
Faulkner 78, Warner 71

Tuesday, Nov. 21
Loyola (N.O.) vs. Florida College, 11 a.m.
Freed-Hardeman vs. SAGU, 1 p.m.
Texas A&M-Texarkana vs. Faulkner, 3 p.m.
XULA vs. Warner, 5 p.m.