Lawrence Earns HBCUAC Defensive Honor; SUNO Defense Gains National Recognition

Lawrence Earns HBCUAC Defensive Honor; SUNO Defense Gains National Recognition

Lawrence grabs 15 rebounds as Knights hold Xavier to 20 second-half points in season-opening win

NEW ORLEANS — Southern University at New Orleans turned a strong defensive performance in its season opener into conference and national recognition Monday.

Junior forward Jermaine Lawrence was named the HBCU Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Week, while NAIA Hoops Report selected SUNO as its Defense of the Week following the Knights’ 69-56 victory over Xavier (La.) on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The win ended SUNO’s two-game losing streak against its crosstown rival and marked its first victory over the Gold Rush since the 2024–25 season.

Lawrence led the effort with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds in his first career appearance against Xavier. Thirteen of his rebounds came on the defensive end. He also recorded three assists, two steals and one blocked shot in 37 minutes.

His work on the glass helped SUNO finish with a 43-24 rebounding advantage and limit Xavier to just two second-chance points. Senior forward Dorian Booker added 11 rebounds.

The Knights took control defensively after halftime, holding the Gold Rush to 20 points on 7-of-26 shooting (26.9%). Xavier shot 37.9% from the field for the game.

That second-half performance earned SUNO recognition in NAIA Hoops Report’s Week 1 recap, as the Knights turned a close contest into a double-digit victory.

The result also marked a defensive turnaround in the rivalry. Xavier scored 82 and 78 points in its two wins over SUNO last season. This time, Lawrence and the Knights held the Gold Rush to 56, opening the 2026–27 season with a win built on defense and rebounding.