Mean Green take down Nuggets; UVI visits Tuesday

NEW ORLEANS — Anisha George had 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots Sunday to lead North Texas to a 59-46 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
     
North Texas (5-5), an NCAA Division I member, counted the game in its records and statistics. NAIA member XULA (9-4) played the game as an exhibition.
     
The Gold Nuggets will play host to Virgin Islands at 1 p.m. Tuesday — XULA's final game before Jan. 3.
     
George, a 6-foot-2 junior center, was 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line in 21 minutes. She helped the Mean Green outrebound the Gold Nuggets 39-26.
     
Terriell Bradley scored 12 points for North Texas, and Trena Mims had six of her team's 19 assists.
     
Gina Smith and Jas Hill scored 11 points apiece for XULA. Smith had five steals, Shaelyn Johnson grabbed five rebounds, and Maya Trench had four assists.
     
North Texas led for more than 38 minutes. The Gold Nuggets led 19-15 after Hill's 3-pointer at 8:29 of the second quarter, then the Mean Green scored the next 11 points en route to a 28-21 halftime lead.
     
North Texas led by double digits for the final 12:22 and took its largest lead, 59-38, on Charlene Shepherd's basket with 3:04 remaining. XULA scored the final eight points, including a pair of baskets by Kyla Duncan.
     
"We got beat up on the boards really bad," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "I liked our team's effort the first two quarters. In the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, I did not like the effort."
    
North Texas outshot XULA 43.4 to 34.1 percent from the floor. Both teams struggled at the line, with the Mean Green making 10-of-20 free throws and the Gold Nuggets making 9-of-20. XULA made seven of its first 10 free throws, then made two of its last 10.
     
XULA played an NCAA DI opponent for the fourth time in five games. XULA also played a home game against Auburn as an exhibition but counted the road results against Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana-Lafayette. The Gold Nuggets won 59-47 Nov. 30 at Southeastern for their first victory since 2007 against a DI team.

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"This schedule has prepared us for a very tough conference schedule beginning in January," Browder said. "We are battle-tested and ready for conference play."
     
After the Tuesday home game against UVI, XULA will travel to Memphis, Tenn., to play LeMoyne-Owen of NCAA Division II on Jan. 3. The Gold Nuggets will then open their Gulf Coast Athletic Conference schedule at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at home against Tougaloo.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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