Top-seeded Eagles eliminate Gold Nuggets in RRAC semifinals

ALEXANDRIA, La. — Top-seeded Texas A&M-Texarkana scored the first 15 points of the second quarter Saturday and pulled away for a 68-44 women’s basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana in the semifinals of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament.

The Eagles, 27-1 with a 24-game win streak, will play second-seeded LSU-Shreveport for the title at 4:30 p.m. CST Sunday in Rapides Parish Coliseum. The Gold Nuggets, 19-11 and seeded fifth, may draw consideration for an at-large bid to NAIA nationals, which will begin March 7.

Lovietta Walker, Bre’Asiajah Mathews and Naomi Takleab made 3-pointers during the Eagles’ second quarter surge. XULA trailed 16-14 after one quarter,

Walker finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and she made 3-of-4 3-pointers. Matthews was 6-of-8 from the floor and scored 13 points.

Nina German scored nine points for XULA, and Ja’Kiylah Esco had eight points and nine rebounds. Nia Bishop grabbed 10 rebounds.

XULA outrebounded TAMUT 40-32 and made 21-of-33 free throws to the Eagles’ 7-of-18, but TAMUT outshot the Gold Nuggets 48.2 to 21.2 percent from the floor. XULA was 1-of-14 on 3-pointers, and the Eagles made 7-of-14.

XULA lost in the semifinals for the second consecutive year.

LSUS defeated third-seeded Louisiana Christian 62-46 in the first semifinal.