Gold Nuggets rout Lady Panthers for homecoming
November 20, 2010

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — Jasmine Grant and Christina Warren scored 14 points apiece Saturday to lead NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana in an 82-43 women's basketball victory against winless Philander Smith.
     The Gold Nuggets (6-0) won for the 27th time in 28 games and celebrated homecoming with their second rout in as many days. It's the first time since December 2003 that the Nuggets reached 80 points in consecutive games.
     Grant, who on Friday tied a school record for 3-pointers made in a game, hit three straight from beyond the arc to fuel an 11-1 run in the first three minutes. Xavier led 42-20 at halftime and took its biggest lead, 75-32, on freshman Angelica Alexander's 3-pointer with 5:35 remaining.
     Warren's points matched her season high. Alexander, who never attempted a 3-pointer as a high-school senior, was 3-of-3 on 3-pointers in the final six minutes and scored a career-high 11 points.
     "Angelica worked on her perimeter shooting all summer," Xavier Coach Bo Browder said. "She's improved from out there dramatically."
     Freshman Latrice Walton, with 14 points, was the lone double-figure scorer for Philander Smith (0-8). Freshman Crystal Finley grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for the Lady Panthers but was 1-of-9 from the floor the day after a season-best 20 points at SUNO.
     Xavier committed a season-worst 28 turnovers but outshot Philander Smith 44 to 23 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets made a season-best 18 free throws in 24 attempts and outrebounded the Lady Panthers 57-29. Philander Smith shot 36 free throws but missed 20 of them.
     Simone Johnson, the Nuggets' 6-foot-4 freshman center, led XU with a season-high eight rebounds, seven in the second half.
     Xavier's next game will start at 7 Thanksgiving night against NAIA No. 15 Langston in the Xavier Classic at The Barn. Philander Smith will remain in New Orleans and visit Dillard at 5 p.m. Monday.