Sunday, November 27, 2011

XU Gold Nuggets lead from start to finish against Holy Names

NEW ORLEANS -- Jasmine Grant scored 15 points Friday to lead four starters in double figures in Xavier University of Louisiana's 73-49 women's basketball victory against Holy Names in the Xavier Classic.

Grant, a senior guard who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the final day of this event a year ago, also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

SiMon Franklin and Brandi Young scored 12 points apiece for the Gold Nuggets (5-3), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I, and Jazmoné Kelly had 11 points, a season best, eight rebounds and five steals. Young had a season-high seven assists.

Xavier never lost the lead after scoring the first six points. The Gold Nuggets led 34-25 at halftime, and the final margin was their largest of the game.

Sarah Kilewer scored 16 points and Souljah Evans 15 for Holy Names (4-8). Both scored 11 first-half points.

Kelly and Franklin scored four points apiece in a 12-0 run which gave Xavier a 49-33 lead with 13:13 remaining. Holy Names never got closer than 11 points thereafter.

The Gold Nuggets, who entered the game shooting 37.1 percent from the floor, shot a season-best 49.2 percent -- 57.1 in the second half -- and limited the Hawks to 31.7 percent. Xavier gained 37 turnovers.

Both Xavier and Holy Cross finished 1-1 in the eight-team, two-day event. Rust defeated Mobile 62-61, Tuskegee defeated Texas College 66-52, and Langston beat Dillard 55-42 in Friday's other games. Tuskegee and Langston were the only teams to win both their games. Rust and Dillard were 1-1, and Mobile and Texas College were 0-2.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against William Carey at The Barn in a PSBlive.com webcast.


By Ed Cassiere, SID

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