Gold Nuggets win 99-63 at LSUA

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana shot a season-best 56.2 percent from the floor Thursday and cruised to a 99-63 Red River Athletic Conference women’s basketball victory against LSU-Alexandria.

Nia Bishop scored 15 points and Victory Udechi 14 for the Gold Nuggets (8-5 overall, 3-1 RRAC), and Da’Jha Virgil and Rayna Ross scored 11 apiece. Udechi and O.C. Mbakop Ngassam grabbed a game-high eight rebounds apiece.

For the second straight game, XULA outscored its opponent in every quarter. The Gold Nuggets led 57-35 at halftime and scored their most points in a first half since 1994.

Brittney Smith scored 22 points for the Generals (1-11, 1-2). XULA limited LSUA standout Kelsey Thaxton to nine points, including 1-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-8 on 3-pointers. In the previous two XULA-LSUA meetings, both victories by the Generals, Thaxton averaged 27.5 points and shot 56.7 percent from the floor and 64.3 percent on 3s.

“We shot the ball extremely well, and our defense was good,” XULA head coach Bo Browder said. “Our team played well and together.”

XULA’s 29 second-quarter points and 23 third-quarter points were season highs for those periods.

The Nuggets will stay on the road and play LSU-Shreveport at 2 p.m. Saturday.