XU alum Bland wins Meridian mayoral primary E. Cassiere 05/06/09 NEW ORLEANS -- Percy Bland, who made eight 3-pointers in a game 20 years ago to set a Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball record, won the Democratic primary for mayor of Meridian, Miss., on Tuesday. In his first run for public office, Bland won 61 percent of the vote to defeat three challengers and advance to the June 2 general election against Republican Cheri Barry. The winner will succeed John Robert Smith, who is stepping down after four terms. "I ran because I wanted to change the direction of this city," said Bland, a State Farm Insurance agent. "I think I'm the best person to do that."Meridian is approximately 200 miles northeast of New Orleans.Bland -- who received his bachelor's degree from Xavier and played for the Gold Rush from 1988-92 -- scored 1,070 points in four seasons and set school records of 74 3-pointers in a season (1989-90) and 173 in a career. Mark Stewart (2002-08) now holds those records and tied Bland's game record in the semifinals of the 2008 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament."Percy has a great heart. He's a very giving person," said Xavier head coach Dannton Jackson, a college teammate of Bland. "I'm from Los Angeles, and he used to take me home to Jackson (Miss.) during breaks, and his family was unbelievably good to me. I was like family to them."Bland is a 1988 graduate of St. Joseph School, then located in Jackson. The school moved to suburban Madison about 10 years ago.