NEW ORLEANS — Jarryn Cleaves scored 15 of her 18 points in the first half Thursday to lead NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 78-43 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Spring Hill at The Barn.
     Cleaves made six 3-pointers, one less than the school record, and tied the Xavier record of 16 3-point attempts. The Gold Nuggets (22-5 overall, 12-3 GCAC) made a season-high 10 3-pointers and set a school record by attempting 31.
     Shayla Boyd scored 10 points, all in the second half, for Xavier, and Tiffany Norris had nine, including her first career 3-pointer, coming in her 75th game at Xavier.
     Keisha Forbes and Lynleigh Hughes scored nine points apiece for Spring Hill (5-20, 4-11). Sharidan Hollis, who scored 21 points for the Lady Badgers in their 71-68 victory over Xavier on Jan. 5, had seven points and was 2-of-9 from the floor.
     Xavier, winning its fifth in a row and its 16th straight at home, led 34-21 at halftime and by at least 20 points during the final 11 1/2 minutes.
     Xavier outshot Spring Hill 43 to 30 percent from the floor. The Nuggets committed a season-low 11 turnovers and gained 27. It was the third straight game the Nuggets allowed less than 45 points — the first time that's happened since the 2000-01 season.
     The Nuggets clinched homecourt advantage for the quarterfinals of the GCAC Tournament. They'll play that game at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 6 at The Barn. All 10 teams will compete in the conference tourney, and Xavier will be one of four teams with a first-round bye.
     Both Xavier and Spring Hill will play GCAC road games Saturday. Xavier will visit Mobile at 5 p.m., and Spring Hill will play LSU-Shreveport at 2 p.m.