Daemen rallies to beat Gold Nuggets in final minute
December 29, 2009

Box score

     IRVINE, Calif. — Bridgette Burke scored 22 points and made two free throws with 20 seconds remaining Tuesday to rally Daemen to a 68-67 women's basketball victory over Xavier University of Louisiana in the Surf City Classic.
     The Gold Nuggets (6-3) lost for the second straight day in this event after holding double-digit leads in both halves.
     Daemen (6-6), winning its third in a row and playing or the first time since Dec. 5, outscored Xavier 19-6 in the final 6½ minutes to erase the Nuggets' 61-49 lead.
     Brittany Powell scored 18 points and Marchelle Jones 13 — both were season highs — for Xavier, and SiMon Franklin had 12.
     Sarah Soroka scored 17 and Tara Bailey 11 for Daemen.
     For the third straight game Bo Browder was denied his 250th victory as Xavier's head coach. But much more disappointing to Browder was that the referees disallowed Jasmine Grant's 3-pointer on the final possession.
     "They said (Grant) released it after the horn," Browder said. "It was a close call. It could've gone either way."
     Burke made her free throws after Franklin made two free throws with 35 seconds remaining to give the Nuggets a 67-66 lead.
     Daemen made 17-of-20 free throws, outscored the Nuggets 21-6 from 3-point range and outshot them 43 to 39 percent from the floor.
     Xavier will play Metro State in its final game of this event at 4 p.m. Wednesday.