Nuggets beat Edward Waters 63-35 for 6th straight victory
January 13, 2012

Box score

     NEW ORLEANS — SiMon Franklin scored a career-high-tying 16 points Friday to lead NAIA No. 17 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 63-35 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Edward Waters.
     It was the most points in a game for Franklin, a fourth-year junior guard, since the 12th game of her freshman season. She was 5-of-8 from the floor, 2-of-3 on 3-pointers and 4-of-5 from the line in 20 minutes. She also had four rebounds, three steals and two assists.
     The Gold Nuggets (13-5 overall, 3-0 GCAC) earned their season-high sixth consecutive victory. They've won 32nd in a row — 27th in the regular season — against GCAC opponents. The Lady Tigers (4-13, 0-4) have dropped nine straight.
     Franklin scored 10 first-half points to help Xavier build a 33-20 lead at the break. Keldra Hall scored nine points, and Franklin made a pair of 3-pointers during a 17-0 run in the first five minutes of the second half.
     Hall finished with 13 points. The Nuggets had no one with more than five rebounds, but they outrebounded the Lady Tigers 44-33. It was the fourth consecutive game that Xavier had a double-digit rebound advantage.
     Ebony Presha had 11 points, nine in the first half, and eight rebounds for Edward Waters but also committed seven of her team's 25 turnovers.
     This is the first Xavier team to allow less than 50 points in each of its first three conference games. The Nuggets limited their third straight opponent to less than 30 prercent from the floor — they outshot Edward Waters 38.5 to 25.5.
     It was the second time in three games Xavier allowed less than 40 points, and it was the Nuggets' fewest points allowed since a 55-32 GCAC victory at Tougaloo 11 months ago.
     Both teams will play GCAC games Saturday. Xavier will play Fisk at 5 p.m. at The Barn, and Edward Waters will remain in the city and play SUNO at 1 p.m. at Dillard's Dent Hall. Fisk lost 63-52 Friday at Dillard, which shares first place in the conference with Xavier.