Gold Nuggets end tenure at The Barn with 52-46 victory

Jazmoné Kelly
5'-9" Senior G/F
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Ursuline Academy
XAVIER UNIVERSITY 

NEW ORLEANS -- Jazmoné Kelly had 13 points and nine rebounds Monday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 52-46 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Tougaloo.

It was the final game at The Barn for the Gold Nuggets (19-8, 9-2), who will move into a new 4,500-seat facility next season. The Barn seats 1,300.

Jasmine Grant had 12 points, a career-high-tying seven assists, two blocks and two steals for Xavier.

Portia Craft scored 21 points for Tougaloo (13-12, 8-4), and Victoria Jones had 10 points and 13 rebounds for her 11th consecutive double-double. Jones leads NAIA Division I in rebounds per game.

Tougaloo led by four points during the 11th minute before Carmen Holcombe's basket at 4:45 gave Xavier the lead for good at 19-18. The Gold Nuggets led 28-24 at halftime and three times led by 10 points in the second half.

Xavier outshot the Lady Bulldogs 33.9 to 27.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 43-37.

Xavier remained in a first-place tie in the GCAC with Talladega, which won 78-77 at home against SUNO. Tougaloo remained in third place, a half-game ahead of Dillard, following its second straight conference loss.

It was the final home game for Grant, Kelly, Keldra Hall, Danielle Kennebrew and Brandi Young, who were honored in a halftime senior-night ceremony. Xavier will close the regular season with three conference road games, then travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the GCAC Tournament on March 1-3. The tournament winner will receive the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA Division I National Championship. Xavier won the GCAC Tournament the past two seasons.

The Nuggets concluded their tenure at The Barn with 10 consecutive victories and 122 victories in their final 129 games there. XU is 246-20 at The Barn since the start of the 1992-93 season. In conference games at The Barn, XU has won 22 straight, 34 of its last 35 and 66 of its last 68. Coach Bo Browder’s XU teams are 170-16 at The Barn in 13 seasons.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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