Gold Nuggets fall to LSUS in RRAC Tournement

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana women’s basketball, a 70-45 loser Monday to LSU-Shreveport in the semifinals of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament, still has opportunities to qualify for NAIA nationals.

The Gold Nuggets (21-6) will earn a spot in the NAIA’s tournament if:
• Our Lady of the Lake wins the RRAC Tournament Tuesday. The RRAC, because of its number of conference members, is assured of two automatic bids to nationals — one for the tournament winner, the other for the highest-rated RRAC team in the ARC (Area Rankings Committees) Southwest ratings. Through Feb. 13 games, OLLU and XULA were the RRAC’s top two teams in those ratings.
• XULA receives an at-large bid. The NAIA tournament field — 64 teams — will be announced online at 6 p.m. CST Thursday on the NAIA’s Facebook page.

XULA started strongly against LSUS by scoring the first eight points. But the Gold Nuggets never recovered from a second quarter in which the Pilots outscored XULA 29-5 and made 5-of-6 3-pointers.

LSUS ended the Gold Nuggets’ 15-game winning streak, which started after a 56-51 home loss to OLLU Jan. 8 and included two victories against LSUS, the most recent a 68-48 decision Feb. 5 at XULA.

Destinee Pointer, with 10 points, was XULA’s only double-figure scorer. O.C. Mbakop Ngassam had nine points and eight rebounds, and Victory Udechi grabbed 10 rebounds.

DeAuja Thompson led LSUS (17-12) with 19 points, 13 rebounds and no turnovers in 32 minutes. Angel Reese had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Kiara Collins scored 13.

The Pilots outshot the Gold Nuggets 53.3 to 22.6 percent from the floor and blocked nine of the Nuggets’ shots. XULA shot 16.3 percent — 7 of 43 — in the final three quarters.

LSUS, the defending champion, will play OLLU for the RRAC Tournament title at 3 p.m. Tuesday. OLLU defeated Louisiana Christian 70-54 in the other semifinal.