XU Nuggets, after beating a top-10 team, move up to 23rd

NEW ORLEANS -- A 66-50 home victory against top-10 Talladega helped Xavier University of Louisiana climb from 25th to 23rd in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 on Tuesday.

The Gold Nuggets (16-6, 6-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) are in the top 25 for the second consecutive week and the third time in six polls this season. They've won four straight and 12 of their last 13 games, and they've won 15 straight at home dating to January 2013.

Talladega dropped from 10th to 11th.

Xavier has three victories against teams in this week's top 25 -- the others are No. 24 Mobile and No. 25 LSU-Shreveport.

The top nine teams are the same as last week, and Vanguard continued its season-long reign at No. 1.

New rankings will be announced next Tuesday (Feb. 4).

The top 25:

1. Vanguard
2. Freed-Hardeman
3. Westminster (Utah)
4. MidAmerica Nazarene
5. Oklahoma Baptist
6. Georgetown (Ky.)
7. Oklahoma City
8. Campbellsville
9. The Master's
10. Our Lady of the Lake
11. Talladega
12. Wiley
13. Lewis-Clark State
14. Westmont
15. Columbia (Mo.)
16. Bethel (Tenn.)
17. (tie) Hope International
17. (tie) Montana State-Northern
19. John Brown
20. Baker
21. Cumberlands
22. Martin Methodist
23. Xavier
24. Mobile
25. LSU-Shreveport

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