Nuggets lose to Oklahoma Baptist in Capital City Classic

Paige Gauthier

OKLAHOMA CITY -- After a halftime tie, Oklahoma Baptist pulled away for a 75-46 women's basketball victory Thursday against Xavier University of Louisiana in the opening game of the Capital City Classic.

The Lady Bison (6-1), ranked 23rd in NAIA Division I, won their fifth in a row.

Paige Gauthier scored nine points and Vinnie Briggs eight for the Gold Nuggets (4-3), ranked 15th in the NAIA.

Jalissa Council scored a career-high 24 points, 15 in the second half, for Oklahoma Baptist. Elisabeth Daniels scored 17 points, and Charity Fowler had 11.

Xavier trailed 20-15 after Zbeyda Aremi's layup for OBU at 5:54 of the first half, but the Nuggets got five points from Briggs to rally for a halftime tie at 28. Xavier took its final lead, 27-26, on Chelsea Broussard's layup with 36 seconds remaining.

Oklahoma Baptist scored the first seven points of the second half and led 46-32 after Council's 3-point play with 13:43 remaining.

The Lady Bison outshot the Gold Nuggets 50 to 32.1 percent from the floor -- 65.4 to 25.9 percent in the second half -- and outrebounded them 47-29.

Xavier will play NAIA No. 2 Oklahoma City at 7 p.m. Friday in the final game of this event.

Box score

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