Saints Fall in Final Seconds Versus XULA

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 3, 2023) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) men's basketball team lost in the closing seconds to Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) 80-79 on Thursday. The Saints drop to 13-10 overall and 8-7 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Gold Nuggets improve to 14-7 overall and 9-5 in RRAC competition.

Head Coach Chris Dial commented, "This was a tough game and we beat ourselves again. I give credit to a very good, well coached and disciplined Xavier team. We must shift our attention to Saturday and control what we can control."

History

The Saints were 0-2 against the Gold Nuggets prior to the game.

Basics

The Saints lost a close game against Xavier on Thursday night. Both teams shot well in the first half with over 40 percent success from the field. OLLU had five steals in the first half and Rob Gil totaled seven points. Ruben Monzon had six points and Gil added three assists. The Saints scoring surged in the final minutes of the first frame, and they led by four points at halftime.

The second half was a battle and the Saints led by three points with 2:32 remaining. The Gold Nuggets battled back and took the lead with just over a minute left. Rob Gil made a key layup with seven seconds on the clock to regain the advantage for the Saints. The Gold Nuggets drew up a good inbound play and converted a layup to win the game. The Saints lost despite shooting 50 percent from the field and having three players finish with double-digit points.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Gil led the Saints with 19 points. Monzon grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds and added 17 points for a double-double. Gil also had six assists.

TJ Jones led Xavier with 19 points. Chris Ward grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Cameron Wells finished with four assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 29-of-58 shooting for 50 percent, 12-of-23 from three-point range for 52.2 percent and 9-of-15 from the free-throw line for 60 percent. Xavier shot 32-of-62 for 51.6 percent, 6-of-18 three pointers for 33.3 percent and 10-of-19 from the free-throw line for 52.6 percent.

Both teams grabbed 34 rebounds each.

Up next

The Saints battle Louisiana Christian University on the road on Feb. 4 at 4 p.m.