NEW ORLEANS — Jarryn Cleaves scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half Thursday to lead NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 52-43 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over SUNO at the Delgado Community College Gym.
     Cleaves, a three-time All-GCAC guard, also had seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high eight steals.
     Shayla Boyd had 12 points, five rebounds and a career-high tying four steals for the Gold Nuggets (18-5 overall, 8-3 GCAC), who snapped a two-game losing streak. LaTashia Wise scored nine.
     Disha Leonard had 16 points and 13 rebounds for SUNO (4-14, 0-11), and Tiffany Edwards had 12 points and 13 rebounds. Lacius Dyson had eight points and 10 rebounds.
     Xavier never lost the lead after outscoring the Lady Knights 7-0 in the first 3 1/2 minutes. The Nuggets led 29-18 at halftime and took their biggest lead, 38-22, on Boyd's basket with 12:52 remaining.
     Brittany Williams' 3-pointer, her only score of the game, cut Xavier's lead to 49-43 with 46 seconds remaining, but the Nuggets made 3-of-4 free throws to clinch the victory and give the Lady Knights their 11th consecutive loss.
     Xavier outshot SUNO 35 to 33 percent from the floor. SUNO had a 48-30 rebound advantage but committed 30 turnovers, 14 more than the Nuggets.
     Xavier remained tied for second place in the GCAC with Mobile and three games behind 15th-ranked Loyola.
     Both teams will play GCAC games at 5 p.m. Saturday. Belhaven will visit Xavier, and SUNO will travel to Tougaloo.