MARIETTA, Ga. — Senior center Keldra Hall produced Xavier University of Louisiana's first double-double of the season — 16 points and 13 rebounds — to lead the Gold Nuggets in a 76-58 women's basketball victory Tuesday against Southern Polytechnic.Xavier (9-5), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I and playing its first game in 13 days, used 16-3 and 18-4 second-half runs to erase a 30-27 halftime deficit.
Hall, recording her fifth double-double in two seasons and her highest rebound total of 2011-12, had 11 points and nine rebounds in the second half. Her 3-point play with 13:12 remaining capped the Nuggets' first burst of the period and gave them a 45-37 lead. Xavier's second run covered the final five minutes.
Jazmoné Kelly had 15 points, a season best, and nine rebounds for Xavier — she had 12 points and seven rebounds in the second half — and Danielle Kennebrew scored a career-high-tying 13 points. Jasmine Grant, Dalila Robinson and Brandi Young scored nine points apiece,
SiMon Franklin's only field goal of the game put Xavier ahead to stay, 38-36, with 14:52 remaining.
Tara Hay scored 18 of her career-high 25 points in the second half for Southern Poly (1-11), which had six available players because of injuries. Dominique Smith had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Jacqueline Schadeck had a season-high 10 points. Chase Morgan grabbed 14 rebounds.
Xavier, despite making one of its first 13 shots from the floor, led 17-9 after Grant's two free throws at 9:43 of the first half. But Hay had five points during a 17-3 run which gave the Lady Hornets their biggest lead, 26-20, with 2:23 remaining.
Southern Poly outshot the Nuggets 36 to 24.2 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 25-20 in the first half, but in the second half Xavier outshot the Lady Hornets 54.5 to 25.9 percent and outrebounded them 27-14. The Nuggets scored all 15 of their second-chance points after halftime.
Xavier, on the road for three games this week, will play NAIA No. 18 Shorter at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday. The Nuggets are responsible for Shorter's only loss this season, a 56-51 decision at The Barn on Dec. 3.
NOTES: The meeting was the teams' first . . . The victory was Xavier's fourth in five games this season against Southern States Athletic Conference members . . . The Nuggets' 49 second-half points were their second most of the season, topped only by 51 at Georgetown (Ky.) in the Chick-fil-A Classic on Nov. 12 . . . The Nuggets have trailed at halftime seven times this season but rallied to win three of those games . . . Xavier used three Georgia residents: Kennebrew, Robinson and Crystal Wallace. Robinson had her second best point total of the season, and Wallace grabbed two rebounds in her first game since Nov. 29 . . . Fans and media desiring halftime and final scores of XU basketball games via text message can send an e-mail to ecassier@xula.edu. Include the words "text message" in the subject of the e-mail, and indicate if scores from both teams or a specific team are desired. Xavier offers the service for free, but standard text message rates will apply.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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