Andraquay Quinnine scored 12 points and SiMon Franklin 10 for the Gold Nuggets (9-1), ranked ninth in NAIA Division I. It was Xavier's seventh consecutive victory and its third in a row by double digits.
Belhaven (5-7) held its biggest lead, 38-29, after Alisha Rayborn's layup with 15:55 remaining. But Xavier gained 14 turnovers while outscoring the Blazers 30-4 during the next 13½ minutes. Reserve freshman guard Emoni Harvey scored all seven of her points during the burst, including a jump shot in the paint with 9:13 remaining to put the Nuggets ahead to stay, 42-40.
Eight Nuggets scored during the run, with Quinnine and Danielle Tucker each getting six points.
Ashley Wakefield, with 15 points, was Belhaven's lone double-figure scorer. Sarah Carr made 3-of-4 3-pointers, and Wakefield scored eight points to lead the Blazers to a 27-23 halftime advantage. But Carr was scoreless in 19 second-half minutes.
Belhaven outshot Xavier 40.5 to 39.1 percent from the floor, but the Nuggets outshot the Blazers 50 to 43.8 percent in the second half. Xavier had a 40-32 rebound advantage and was plus-11 in turnovers, gaining 25 and committing 14 to match a season low. The Nuggets made six free throws -- their second fewest of the season -- in 10 attempts, and Belhaven was 10-of-21.
It was the first time this season that Quinnine and Franklin produced double-figure points in consecutive games. It was Xavier's first game since a 62-42 victory at William Carey two weeks ago.
Ed Cassiere, SID |
The Nuggets matched their second-best 10-game start of the Title IX era. Xavier was 10-0 in 1980-81 and 9-1 in 2010-11 and 2004-05.
Xavier will play NAIA No. 24 Faulkner in the final game of this event at 9 p.m. Saturday.
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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