Eagles Bring the Energy in Dominant 85-68 Win Over Gold Rush

TEXARKANA, Texas – Texas A&M University-Texarkana's men's basketball team hosted Xavier University of Louisiana's Gold Rush on Thursday for the second game of a Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader with the women's team.

The Gold Rush entered the matchup ranked second in the conference, while the Eagles held the fourth-place spot. A&M-Texarkana delivered a dominant performance, securing an 85-68 victory in front of a packed crowd at the Patterson Student Center, snapping Xavier's five-game winning streak.

The Eagles controlled the paint, outscoring Xavier 40-12 inside. Despite striking first, A&M-Texarkana saw the Gold Rush quickly take the lead, which they held heading into halftime. Xavier shot an impressive 50% from the field and 53% from beyond the arc in the first half, giving them a slim 38-36 advantage at the break.

A&M-Texarkana flipped the script in the second half with a stellar shooting performance. The Eagles shot 61.5% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 100% from the free-throw line, outscoring the Gold Rush 49-30 in the final period. The energy shift was fueled by Jakari Livingston, who ignited the crowd with a coast-to-coast drive and a highlight-reel dunk over a Xavier defender.

Doreante Tucker and Deovaunta Williams led the Eagles with 18 points each, while Daryl Houston grabbed six rebounds, and Rodney Mason II dished out four assists.

A&M-Texarkana improved to 15-8 overall and 13-7 in conference play, maintaining its fourth-place standing. The Eagles return to action Saturday, Feb. 8, against Louisiana Christian University in another conference doubleheader. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m., following the women's game.