XAVIER (LA) GOLD RUSH DEFEAT SUNO TO REACH GCAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TODAY AT 2PM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Chris Iles and Devin Andrew scored 14 points apiece Friday, and Xavier University of Louisiana made 10-of-10 free throws in the final 76 seconds to secure a 75-66 men’s basketball victory over SUNO in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
    The Gold Rush (27-4), ranked 17th in NAIA Division I and seeded second in the tournament, will play 13th-ranked and top-seeded Tougaloo for the championship at 2 p.m. EST Saturday. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.
    Tougaloo defeated Edward Waters 69-67 in the first semifinal.
        Xavier and Tougaloo split their two-game regular-season series, with the home team winning by double-digits both times. This will be Xavier’s 10th appearance in a GCAC Tournament final and first since 2008. The Gold Rush haven’t won the championship since 1996. Tougaloo will make its second appearance in a GCAC final and first since 1989, when it lost to William Carey.