NAIA No. 23 Generals snap Gold Nuggets’ 16-game home winning streak

NEW ORLEANS — NAIA No. 23 LSU-Alexandria built a 20-point lead in the first nine minutes Wednesday and rolled to a wire-to-wire 74-63 women’s basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Generals (1-1) ended the 16-game home winning streak of the Gold Nuggets (5-3). XULA had not lost at home since a 73-65 decision against Edward Waters in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament on March 3, 2018.

Ciera Daniels had 21 points and 12 rebounds for LSUA. Kelsey Thaxton scored 17 points for the Generals — 15 in the first quarter without missing a shot — and Courtney Dawsey had 16 points and six assists. LSUA began the season with 10 players but dressed six for this game.

Essence Wells scored 16 points for XULA, and Nina German scored a career-high 14 points and had five assists, a season best.

LSUA scored the first nine points, and Dawsey’s 3-point play at 1:22 of the first quarter made it 24-4. The Generals led 42-20 at halftime.

In the second half Wells produced 14 points and five assists, and the Gold Nuggets got as close as 68-63 on a Wells 3-point play with 50 seconds remaining.

LSUA outshot XULA 47.3 to 35.7 percent from the floor, 58.6 to 26.7 percent in the first half. The Generals made 18-of-22 free throws to XULA’s 4-of-5.

The Gold Nuggets will play Texas A&M-Texarkana, a first-year program, at 5 p.m. Friday in the LSUS Classic at Shreveport, La. The Nuggets’ next home game will tip off at 3 p.m. Dec. 17 against Mobile.