NEW ORLEANS -- Paige Gauthier's career-best 19 points Saturday led NAIA No. 10 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 72-67 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against SUNO at The Castle.
The victory, the 10th in a row for the Gold Nuggets (22-4 overall, 10-2 GCAC) and their eighth straight in conference, kept them in a first-place tie with Talladega. But SUNO (14-4, 9-3) -- which had a share or sole possession of the GCAC lead since Jan. 21 -- fell to third place. All three teams have two conference games remaining, none with each other.
Gauthier, a reserve guard, led Xavier in scoring for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in six games. She scored 11 second-half points, including a 3-pointer with 17:18 remaining which put the Gold Nuggets ahead to stay, 40-38.
Xavier led 62-50 after Danielle Tucker's 3-pointer with 7:43 remaining, but SUNO cut that deficit before committing a turnover while trailing by two and missing a 3-pointer while trailing by three in the final 13 seconds. Gauthier closed the scoring with two free throws with two seconds remaining and was a career-best 8-of-8 from the line.
SiMon Franklin scored 14 points for Xavier, and Tucker and Carmen Holcombe had nine each. Holcombe grabbed nine rebounds and had a career-high five steals, the last with 13 seconds remaining and Xavier leading 69-67. Holcombe was fouled after her steal, then made 1-of-2 free throws.
April Perry scored 21 points, 17 in the second half, for SUNO. Janee Morton scored 19 points, Sharlyn Reed had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Rose Boatner had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
SUNO led 34-32 at halftime.
The victory streak is Xavier's longest since winning 21 in a row during 2009-10. The Gold Nuggets' ended SUNO's six-game home win streak; it was the Lady Knight's first loss at The Castle since a 57-56 decision Nov. 15 against Westminster (Utah), a top-five NAIA team.
Xavier will visit Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. Monday, then play Dillard at 3 p.m. next Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at XU's new Convocation Center. Reserved tickets, priced at $5, will go on sale at the Convocation Center box office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and be available through Thursday. Tickets purchased on game day will cost $10. Students can pick up one free ticket with a valid XU ID from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Monday at the Student Activities Office in room 208 (second floor) of the University Center.
By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS
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