NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball leads the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference again, thanks to clutch fourth-quarter shooting from Da'Jha Virgil, Nahrie Pierce and Jas Hill in a 62-55 victory Monday against NAIA No. 13 Talladega.
The Gold Nuggets (19-6, 9-1) and Lady Tornadoes (23-4, 9-2) traded places in the GCAC standings. Defending champion Dillard (16-9, 7-3) — XULA's next opponent — is in third place.
Talladega had won its last seven games, including 73-63 at home against XULA nine days earlier. But the Gold Nuggets flipped the script with a defense that limited Talladega to its fewest points this season and 26 points below its season average.
Virgil's 3-pointer with 9:23 remaining put XULA ahead to stay at 44-42, and Pierce baskets in the paint at 3:09 and 2:23 — both assisted by Nina German — capped a 5-for-5 night for the sophomore.
Hill, the Gold Nuggets' leading scorer for the season, produced nine fourth-quarter points, including 7-of-7 free throws, after scoring only two points in the first three quarters.
"I just knew we were going to play better this time," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "Our defense and rebounding came up big, and we made enough shots to give us a chance to win."
Talladega opened with a 9-2 run but never led by that many thereafter. XULA led 28-21 at halftime.
Virgil and Hill scored 11 points apiece — it was the first time that Virgil, a freshman guard, led XULA in scoring — and Pierce scored 10. Gina Smith grabbed eight rebounds — her most in a game since November — and Essence Wells had a career-high-tying four steals.
Kendra Williams, with 14 points, was Talladega's lone double-figure scorer. Diamond Jolly — the second-ranked rebounder in NAIA Division I — grabbed 10, and Brijanee Moore had nine.
Talladega outshot XULA 35.3 to 33.3 percent from the floor, but the Gold Nuggets outrebounded the Lady Tornadoes 49-35. XULA blocked a season-high six shots, two apiece by Hill and Kyla Duncan.
XULA will play Dillard at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lady Bleu Devils' Dent Hall.
BOX SCORE
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
NEW ORLEANS — Da'Jon Streeter made 1-of-2 free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining Monday to lift Talladega to a 66-65 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
The Tornadoes (20-6, 8-3) outscored XULA 5-0 in the final two minutes to win their fourth in a row and remain one game behind GCAC leader Tougaloo, a 76-66 winner at Philander Smith.
Streeter, who scored a game-high-tying 15 points, was fouled on a drive to the basket during his team's final possession. Streeter made his first throw, missed the second, and XULA's Galen Smith rebounded with nine-tenths of a second remaining. But after three timeouts, the first two by XULA, the Gold Rush were unable to attempt a shot before the buzzer.
Jarin Hilson also scored 15 points for Talladega, which defeated XULA for the second time in nine days, and Dondre Alexander had 14. Streeter and Alexander grabbed seven rebounds apiece, and Hilson had three steals.
Rayshawn Mart scored 13 points and William Loyd 12 for XULA (14-12, 5-5). Smith and Anfernee Kingscored 10 apiece. King, Mart and Smith were a combined 7-of-8 on 3-pointers; King made all three of his attempts from behind the arc.
Smith also produced four assists, three blocks and two steals.
A 13-2 run in the final five minutes of the first half gave XULA a 34-31 lead at the break. XULA gained its largest advantage, 45-38, after Damani Flanagain's basket with 15:04 remaining.
XULA outshot Talladega 47.9 to 44.2 percent from the floor but was minus-5 in rebounds (31-26) and minus-3 in turnovers (17-14). Talladega made 16-of-26 free throws to XULA's 11-of-14.
The Gold Rush are 7-6 this season in games decided by four points are fewer. Three of those close XULA victories occurred prior to January on last-second points from Mart.
XULA will visit city rival Dillard (15-7, 8-2) at 5 p.m. Saturday. Dillard, which shared the GCAC regular-season championship with XULA a year ago, is in second place and a half-game behind Tougaloo. XULA is fifth.
BOX SCORE
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
