Xavier hit the accelerator late and pulled away from LSU Shreveport to claim the 2023 RRAC Men's Basketball Tournament title. The Gold Rush earned a 79-63 victory over top-seeded LSUS on Sunday here at Rapides Parish Coliseum.
Xavier captured its first RRAC tournament title in its first championship game appearance. The Gold Rush are in their second year as an RRAC member, and they won the last two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championships before making the move. LSUS was shooting for its fourth straight title.
The Pilots have already received an automatic berth in the NAIA national tournament as the RRAC regular season champion. Xavier will wait for the result of tomorrow's men's basketball ratings to see if they will be the conference's second automatic qualifier. If they are rated behind LSUS and ahead of Texas A&M-Texarkana, they will be in the tournament.
Midway through the second half, Xavier's
TJ Jones (5'8''-PG), who had a game-high 23 points, connected on a jumper that tied the game at 52-52. The Gold Rush pushed matters at that point and scored the next seven points to build a 59-52 lead with nine minutes remaining. LSUS cut the lead to five on a pair of free throws from
Jalen Brooks (6'5''-G), but the Pilots wouldn't be able to get any closer.
Xavier stayed hot down the stretch and outscored LSUS 11-2 in the final three minutes of the game.
In addition to Jones, forward
Xavier Reaves (6'6''-F-1999) accounted for 20 points and 10 rebounds en route to the Tournament MVP award. Brooks led the Pilots with 19 points and 11 boards.
Calvin Carpenter (6'2''-G) scored 11, and
Tyler Washington (6'8''-F-2000) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
The all-tournament team Reaves, Jones and
Jathen Ross (6'1''-G) from Xavier along with Brooks and Washington from LSUS. Other members of the team were
Jude Akabueze (6'6''-C/F) and
Bailey Hardy (6'2''-G) of Louisiana Christian,
Kobe Powell (5'9''-PG) of Texas A&M-Texarkana,
Daniel Helterhoff (6'9''-C-2003) of Our Lady of the Lake, and
Jakari Jackson (5'11''-PG) of Jarvis Christian.
Courtesy of redriverconference.com
WallaiBs
Xavier Reaves (6'6''-F-1999) of Xavier, LA
Stacey Thomas (6'8''-F-1998) of LSUS
Daniel Helterhoff (6'9''-C-2003) of OLLU
