NEW ORLEANS — Tiffany Norris scored 12 points and LaTashia Wise 10 Thursday to lead NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 57-35 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over LSU-Shreveport at The Barn.
     The Gold Nuggets (20-5 overall, 10-3 GCAC) reached 20 victories for the seventh consecutive season and the 15th time in 16 seasons.
     Norris, Wise and Johnna Williams scored six first-half points apiece and led the Nuggets to a 29-16 advantage at the break. Xavier led by 29 points in the second half.
     Teokea Wilkerson, Tish Flowers and Quan Joseph scored six points apiece for LSU-Shreveport (10-12, 6-7), which has a three-game losing streak.
     The Lady Pilots' Edie Leonards, who entered the game with a team-leading 13.2 scoring average, finished with three points — her second lowest total of the season — in 20 minutes. Leonards was 1-of-9 from the floor, 1-of-4 from the line and committed six turnovers.
     Xavier, winning its third straight, outshot the Lady Pilots 33 to 28 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 40-36. LSUS committed 23 turnovers, nine more than Xavier.
     Xavier's next game will start at 5 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo at The Barn. LSUS will remain in New Orleans and play Dillard at noon Saturday.