John Curtis standout Virgil is Nuggets’ third signee

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women’s basketball secured its third newcomer for the 2018-19 academic year when Da’Jha Virgil of Kenner, La., and John Curtis Christian School signed an athletic scholarship Wednesday.

Virgil, a 5-foot-7 guard, is averaging nine points per game this season for a 24-1 Curtis team that has the state’s No. 1 unofficial power rating in the LHSAA. A four-year varsity starter and a three-time all-district selection, Virgil has scored 849 career points for the Lady Patriots.

“I am just so proud of Da’Jha’s development in the four years I have coached her,” Curtis coach Barbara Farris said. “She is not allergic to the gym. She has a tremendous feel in terms of her basketball IQ. She’s been a silent leader on this team. She’s a consistent hard worker who holds this team together and manages the team very well.”

Curtis, in the New Orleans suburb of River Ridge, is the same school that produced Whitney Gathright, the Gold Nuggets’ No. 7 career scorer, a XULA graduate and a WBCA NAIA first-team All-American her senior year (2015-16).

“Da’Jha is a true point guard who can also play shooting guard,” XULA coach Bo Browder said. “She can really knock down 3-pointers, and she will run our offense extremely well. Right now Da’Jha is a little bit ahead of Whitney’s curve coming from high school.”

As a junior, Virgil averaged eight points per game for a Curtis team that won the LHSAA Division I state championship. Virgil has played five seasons of AAU ball — one with the Louisiana Lady Pumas and four previously with the Kenner Angels.

The Gold Nuggets’ other signees for next season are forward Kyla Duncan of Metairie, La., and East Jefferson High School and forward/center Shae Johnson of Riverside, Calif., and Martin Luther King High School. XULA is a longtime member of NAIA Division I and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.