Blazers beat Gold Nuggets in OT, snap long series streak
January 8, 2011

Box score

     JACKSON, Miss. — Kiara Johnson scored 15 points Saturday, including the go-ahead basket with 1:38 remaining in overtime, to lead Belhaven to a 70-67 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 15 Xavier University of Louisiana.
     The Blazers (11-4) snapped their 16-game losing streak against the Gold Nuggets (14-4) and defeated them for the first time since Feb. 11, 1999. Xavier had won 31 of the previous 32 meetings and leads the series 49-7.
     Johnson's layup put Belhaven ahead to stay at 68-67, then Regena Jackson made two free throws with 11 seconds remaining. The Nuggets committed a turnover and missed three shots after Johnson's basket, including a Brandi Young 3-point attempt at the buzzer which would have forced a second overtime.
     Marchelle Jones scored a career-high 17 points for Xavier. Jazmoné Kelly scored a season-high 14 on 7-of-9 floor shooting, Young had a career-best 13 — her first game in double figures — and Paige Gauthier scored 10.
vJackson scored 12 points, Erica Leflore 11 and Jessica Barlow 10 for Belhaven, which has won four straight and six of its last seven games. Johnson had seven assists and six steals.
     Young's two free throws with 37 seconds remaining tied the score at 59, capped a Xavier rally from five down in the final four minutes and were the final points of regulation. Young's two free throws at 1:50 of overtime gave Xavier its final lead.
     Christina Warren's 3-pointer and a Jones basket gave Xavier a 64-59 lead in the opening minute of overtime, but Belhaven closed the game with an 11-3 run.
     Belhaven outshot Xavier 49-34 percent from the floor and became the first team in 40 games to score 70 points against XU's women.
     Jones also led Xavier with six assists and five steals, and Gauthier had three assists and career-highs of six rebounds and four steals.
     Xavier will play William Carey at 5:30 p.m. Monday at The Barn in the first game of a doubleheader between the schools.