Friday, November 23, 2012

Gold Nuggets defeat No. 14 Langston in Xavier Classic


NEW ORLEANS -- Whitney Gaston-Loyd's basket with 14:24 remaining Thursday put Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay and started a run which carried the Gold Nuggets to a 46-38 women's basketball victory against Langston in the Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center.

Wiley defeated Tuskegee 88-62, and Texas College beat Dillard 71-63 in Thursday's other games.

Loyd's basket provided Xavier's first points of the half, gave the Nuggets a 28-26 lead and started an 11-2 run. Danielle Tucker scored four points, and Talor Hixon and SiMon Franklin had two assists each during the burst.

It was the second consecutive victory against a ranked NAIA Division I team for Xavier (4-1), which is 11th. Langston (0-4) is No. 14. Xavier has won 44 of its past 47 home games, including 4-of-5 in its first-year home facility.

Gaston-Loyd scored nine points and Tucker eight for Xavier. Amber Coleman scored 12 points for Langston, which never got closer than five points in the final four minutes. Langston's Reyven Osborne grabbed eight rebounds. Tayla Vaughn had six points, seven rebounds and six steals for the Lionesses but also committed nine turnovers.

Tucker also had five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and four steals. Her basket with 9:19 remaining gave Xavier a 37-28 advantage, its largest of the game.

Nine XU players scored to help the Nuggets take a 26-21 halftime lead.

Xavier outshot Langston 33.3 to 28.9 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Lionesses 40-32. Xavier committed 29 turnovers -- 16 in the second half -- but gained 32. Langston shot 20 percent from the floor in the second half after shooting 46.2 percent in the first.

Xavier will play Texas College at 2:30 p.m. Friday. Langston will play Tuskegee at 11 a.m., and Dillard will play Wiley at 6 p.m. Also Friday will be two girls high school games: Terrebonne vs. Helen Cox at 1 p.m. and Warren Easton vs. University at 4:30 p.m.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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