Feb. 3, 2008

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Mark Stewart and Alfred Williams scored 23 points apiece Saturday (Feb. 2), and NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana shot a school-record 72.2 percent from 3-point range in an 89-76 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory over William Carey (Miss.).

The victory was the fifth in a row for the Gold Rush (18-4 overall, 8-2 GCAC) and its fourth straight on the road.

Xavier never trailed and opened the game with a 14-4 run in the first 4:10 which included three Stewart 3-pointers. Stewart finished with a season-high-tying six 3-pointers in eight attempts, and Williams was a career-best 4-for-4 from behind the arc and tied his career scoring high.

Xavier made 13-of-18 3-pointers -- 7-of-9 in the first half and 6-of-9 in the second. The Rush's 72.2-percent accuracy broke the school record of 66.7 set against Louisiana College on Feb. 3, 1989. Xavier also was one 3-pointer from tying its school record of 14.

Kelechi Okoroha scored 20 points and Shaun Dumas 13 for Xavier, which moved into a second-place tie in the GCAC with Mobile. The Rams lost 81-61 at fifth-ranked LSU-Shreveport, giving the Pilots sole possession of first place.

Kyle LaMonte scored 21 points, Derek Jarvis 17 and Dexter Cheairs 14 for William Carey (12-10, 3-7), which lost for the fifth time in six games.

Xavier shot a season-high 65.9 percent from the floor and limited the Crusaders to 41.8 percent. The Rush led 36-29 at halftime and took its biggest lead, 75-59, on Okoroha's 3-point play with 5:15 remaining.

Xavier swept its two-game regular-season series with William Carey for the second consecutive season. The Rush has won seven straight from the Crusaders and 13 of the past 16 meetings.

Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against GCAC and city rival SUNO at Delgado Community College Gym in New Orleans.