WEST PALM BEACH, Florida -- Lakeisha Blanson made 4-of-4 free throws in the final seven seconds Thursday to help Northwood (Fla.) preserve a 67-64 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana in the Cruzin Classic.
Mallory Burton scored 20 points, Blanson 14, Emily May 11 and Stephanie Granada 10 for the Lady Seahawks (2-4), who never trailed in the final 36 minutes.
Whitney Gathright scored 20 points for the Gold Nuggets (7-6) -- who lost a close game to an NAIA Division II opponent for the second consecutive day in this event -- and Alesha Smith had 12. Vinnie Briggs and Ireyon Keith scored eight points apiece.
Northwood led for the final 16:54 after Granada made 1-of-2 free throws to break a tie at 33. Four times thereafter the Gold Nuggets cut the lead to one point, the last at 65-64 on two Gathright free throws with four seconds remaining.
Blanson made a pair of free throws with seven seconds to play and with three seconds remaining. Xavier missed three free throws in the final 39 seconds.
Xavier led for nearly two of the first four minutes, but never led again after Blanson's 3-pointer gave the Lady Seahawks a 9-7 lead at 16:06. Burton's basket at 10:40 increased the margin to 21-12, and Northwood led 32-27 at halftime.
Northwood shot 47.9 percent from the floor, the best this season by an XU opponent. The Gold Nuggets shot 35.6 percent.
Gatrhright made three of the Gold Nuggets' five 3-pointers and produced career highs of 11 free throws and 14 attempts. Briggs had a career-high-tying five steals. Briggs and Smith grabbed six rebounds apiece, with Smith reaching a career best. Amara Person-Hampton grabbed a career-high-tying five rebounds.
Xavier is 2-6 on the road this season. It was the Gold Nuggets' first-ever meeting with Northwood.
The Gold Nuggets will break for Christmas, then play LSU-Shreveport at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 in the Xavier Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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