Xavier’s Makye Richard chosen first-team All-RRAC

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Makye Richard of 21-game winner Xavier University of Louisiana was the lone Gold Rush honoree Saturday evening when the Red River Athletic Conference announced its end-of-season men’s basketball awards.

Richard, a 6-foot-2 fifth-year guard from Morgan City, La., was chosen first-team All-RRAC.

“This has been Makye’s best season of his three at Xavier,” sixth-year head coach Alfred Williams said. “Makye stepped up and gave us big-time leadership when we needed it during the second semester. He’s a talented, exciting and intelligent player and one of the best basketball athletes in the NAIA.”

Richard (pronounced REE-shard) averages 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season. His five-year collegiate totals include 1,542 points, 166 made 3-pointers, 616 rebounds, 338 assists and 171 steals.

Richard was second-team All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and honorable-mention NAIA All-America a year ago. This is XULA’s first season in the RRAC.

The Gold Rush (21-5) will play Southwest (N.M.) (10-15) at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the quarterfinals of the RRAC Tournament at Rapides Parish Coliseum (5600 Coliseum Blvd., Alexandria, LA 71303-3747). Tickets are available online via Ticketmaster, but fans can avoid the surcharge and pay $10 at the door. The tournament, which consists of eight men’s and eight women’s teams, will conclude Tuesday.