NEW ORLEANS — Jarryn Cleaves scored 22 points and Erica Turnbull 17 to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 72-63 women's basketball victory against Wiley at The Barn on Saturday.
     The victory was the third in a row for the Gold Nuggets (3-1) and the 53rd in the last 55 games on their campus. Wiley, which snapped NAIA No. 17 Loyola's 18-game home win streak Friday, is 3-1.
     Xavier never trailed and held double-digit leads in both halves, but the Nuggets needed an 11-3 run in the final three minutes to secure the victory after Wiley cut the margin to 61-60.
     Alissa Thompson's 3-pointer from the right corner with 2:46 remaining gave Xavier a 64-60 lead. From that point the Lady Wildcats were 0-of-3 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the line.
     Clara Sanders and Nicole Posley scored 13 points apiece for Wiley, and Shae White and Linda Emeghebo had 10 apiece. Sanders had seven assists for the second night in a row.
     Xavier outshot the Lady Wildcats 47 to 42 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 35-31.
     Turnbull scored 11 points — she was 5-of-5 from the floor — and Cleaves 10 to lead the Nuggets to a 38-32 halftime advantage.
     Turnbull finished with eight rebounds, and Cleaves had six assists and five rebounds.
     Xavier's next game will start at 5:45 p.m. Friday at Northwestern State.