Xavier Gold Nuggets picked to finish 3rd in RRAC

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana women’s basketball was picked third in the 12-team Red River Athletic Conference 2023-24 preseason poll of the league’s head coaches.

The RRAC announced the results Tuesday.

XULA received 125 points and two first-place votes. LSU-Shreveport was first with five first-place votes and 136 points, and Texas A&M-Texarkana ranked second with five first-place votes and 129 points.

XULA’s returning players from last season include:

• Shylia McGee, a 5-foot-8 senior guard/forward who averaged a team-leading 12.5 points per game in 2022-23. McGee averaged 5.9 rebounds.
• Rayna Ross, a 5-9 senior guard/forward who averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds.
• Mary Wilkins, a 5-8 senior guard/forward who averaged 4.2 points.

XULA will open the season at 4 p.m. Saturday at longtime HBCU and city rival Dillard. The first home game will tip off at noon Nov. 4 — one week from Saturday, and it’ll be homecoming — against College of Biblical Studies at XULA’s Convocation Center.

The Gold Nuggets last season were 19-11 and reached the semifinals of the RRAC Tournament. Bo Browder has 538 victories as head coach of the Gold Nuggets. This season is his 25th to lead the XULA women — a longevity record by a XULA head coach in any sport.

Red River Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball 2023-24 Coaches Poll
1. LSU-Shreveport . . . 136 points, five first-place votes
2. Texas A&M-Texarkana . . . 129 points, five first-place votes
3. XULA . . . 125 points, two first-place votes
4. Louisiana Christian . . . 97 points
5. Our Lady of the Lake . . . 92 points
6. LSU-Alexandria . . . 86 points
7. Huston-Tillotson . . . 82 points
8. Jarvis Christian . . . 46 points
9. Texas College . . . 44 points
10. Southwest (N.M.) . . . 37 points
11. Paul Quinn . . . 33 points
12. North American . . . 29 points