Gold Nuggets pull away for fifth straight win
January 31, 2009

Box score

     MOBILE, Ala. — Danielle Jones scored 12 points Saturday, and SiMon Franklin and LaTashia Wise added 11 apiece to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 78-59 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Spring Hill.
     The Gold Nuggets (16-5 overall, 7-2 GCAC) have a five-game winning streak and have won seven of their past eight. Xavier remained in a tie for second place in the conference with Loyola and William Carey and one game behind LSU-Shreveport. The other three contenders all won Saturday.
     Xavier scored the first six points and never lost the lead. Jones made two baskets in the final minute of the first half to extend the Nuggets' lead to 36-28 at the break.
     Jones' basket with 8:06 remaining capped a 23-4 run and gave the Nuggets a 68-44 lead. They took their largest lead, 78-52, on Jazmoné Kelly's basket with two minutes to play.
     Rashonda Belton scored 12 points for Spring Hill (4-15, 1-8), and Lynleigh Hughes and Erica Wright scored 10 apiece. The Lady Badgers have lost five straight and 11 of their past 12.
     Xavier outshot Spring Hill 48 to 33 percent from the floor and made a season-high-tying eight 3-pointers in 16 attempts. Franklin made three in row from behind the arc during the final nine minutes of the first half.
     The Nuggets limited Spring Hill's top two scorers for the season, Keisha Forbes and Sharidan Hollis, to a combined 14 points, including 4-of-19 from the floor. Forbes and Hollis combined for 36 points this past season when the Lady Badgers beat the Nuggets 71-68 at Spring Hill.
     Xavier will travel to The Den for its next game at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against Loyola.