XU loses by 1 in overtime to ninth-ranked Warriors

XU loses by 1 in overtime to ninth-ranked Warriors

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Jessica Brown's two free throws with eight seconds remaining Thursday gave Indiana Wesleyan a 75-74 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the opening game of the Cruzin Classic.

The Warriors (11-2) snapped the six-game win streak of the Gold Nuggets (9-3). Both teams are ranked ninth in the NAIA — Xavier competes in Division I, Indiana Wesleyan in Division II.

Brown's free throws resulted in the sixth lead change of overtime. Xavier led 74-73 after Trana Hopkins scored a basket with 12 seconds remaining. After Brown's free throws, the Gold Nuggets were unable to take a shot before time ran out.

Xavier led by 15 points late in the second quarter, by seven in the 37th minute and by two with possession with less than a minute remaining in overtime.

The Warriors' Jessica Stewart tied the score at 63 with a free throw with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Xavier's Whitney Gathright missed a 2-pointer at the buzzer, and the Gold Nuggets went to overtime for the third time this season.

Hopkins scored a career-high 21 points, 16 after halftime, and had a season-best three steals. Donyeah Mayfield had 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals, and Gathright and Joi Simmons had 10 points and three steals apiece. Gathright had seven assists, and Gathright and Mikayla Bates each made a pair of 3-pointers.

After a tie at 14 at the end of the first quarter, Xavier took its largest lead, 33-18, on Mayfield's basket at 2:21 of the second quarter. But Indiana Wesleyan closed the period with seven unanswered points, and Xavier's halftime lead was 33-25.

Mayfield's basket at 3:13 of the fourth gave the Gold Nuggets a 61-54 lead, but the Warriors forced overtime with a 9-2 run that included eight points by Kelsey Key, who finished with a career-high 20.

Chelsea Winner scored 13 points for the Warriors, and Carlee Cottrell had 11. Cottrell grabbed nine rebounds and helped Indiana Wesleyan win the boards 41-35.

Indiana Wesleyan outshot Xavier 47.9 to 35.8 percent from the floor, 56 to 35.3 percent after halftime. The Gold Nuggets were plus-14 in turnovers, committing a season-low nine and gaining 23.

Xavier will play Georgetown (Ky.) at noon EST Friday in the Gold Nuggets' second and final game of this event. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 3 p.m. Jan. 2 against NAIA No. 22 LSU-Shreveport.

NOTES: The game was the Gold Nuggets' first since the end of the fall semester and first since climbing into the national top 10 Dec. 8 . . . The Nuggets are 2-1 in overtime this season. It's the first time since 2006-07 that the Nuggets played three overtime games in a season . . . Xavier is 0-2 all-time against Indiana Wesleyan . . . It was the first time the Nuggets committed fewer than 10 turnovers in a road game since an opening-round victory against Westmont in the 2014 NAIA Division I National Championship.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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