SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Xavier University of Louisiana scored first and never lost the lead Thursday in an 80-65 Red River Athletic Conference women’s basketball victory at Texas A&M-San Antonio.
The Gold Nuggets — 15-0 overall, first place in the Red River Athletic Conference at 12-0 and ranked 25th in the NAIA — will stay in San Antonio and play at 1 p,m. CST Saturday at Our Lady of the Lake, a 57-52 loser at home to Louisiana Christian.
Four of XULA’s five starters scored at least 14 points. Kam Shelley had 16 points, Joy Campbell 15, and Zaria Harleaux and Lauren Banks scored 14 apiece. Shelley made four 3-pointers, Campbell had three assists and three steals, and Harleaux had 12 rebounds — her second double-double this season — and three blocked shots. Banks produced three steals for the third consecutive game.
XULA’s Jala Williams had a game- and career-high six assists, and Sierra Headquist had nine points and eight rebounds.
XULA led 38-28 at halftime, led by double digits the entire second half and held its largest lead, 78-56, after Campbell’s layup with 2:50 remaining.
Evelyn Lorenzo had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists for TAMUSA (12-5, 9-4), a first-year varsity program, and Natalia Trevino had 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Jaguars dropped into a third-place tie in the Red River with LSU-Alexandria, which was idle. Also idle was second-place LSU-Shreveport.
The Gold Nuggets are the only XULA basketball team since 1941, female or male, to start a season with 15 consecutive victories.
Source: XULA Athletics/xulagold.com
