Mobile ends Gold Nuggets' win streak
February 23, 2008

Box Score

MOBILE, Ala. — Sherri McIntosh had 23 points and 14 rebounds Saturday to lead Mobile to a 75-65 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana.

Danielle Goodly and Angela Bounds scored 14 points each, and Crystal Hutchinson had 12 to help the Lady Rams (16-12 overall, 12-4 GCAC) snap the five-game winning streak of the Gold Nuggets (22-6, 12-4). Mobile won its third in a row and extended its home winning streak to six.

Jarryn Cleaves had 22 points and Erica Turnbull 13 for Xavier, which trailed 39-35 at halftime. Freshman Johnna Williams grabbed 10 rebounds, her second time this season in double figures, and Alissa Thompson had six steals to surpass 200 for her career.

Mobile outshot Xavier 43 to 30 percent from the floor and dominated from the line, making 31-of-38 free throws to the Nuggets' 14-of-22. McIntosh was 11-of-14 from the line, and Bounds was 8-of-8.

Xavier, bolstered by a season-high 26 offensive rebounds, outrebounded Mobile 44-41.

Mobile's points are the most allowed by Xavier this season. The Nuggets entered the game ranked third in NAIA Division I in scoring defense, 53.6 points per game. During Xavier's five-game winning streak, opponents averaged 43.4 points.

The victory gave the Lady Rams a two-game split with Xavier and moved them into a second-place tie with the Nuggets in the GCAC with two conference games remaining for each. Xavier can clinch the No. 2 seed for the GCAC Tournament by winning twice — at The Barn on Thursday against 16th-ranked Loyola, the GCAC regular-season champion, and at New Orleans Arena on Saturday against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic presented by Siemens.

The Xavier-Loyola game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Mobile's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Spring Hill.