NEW ORLEANS — Shayla Boyd scored 12 of her career-high 16 points in the first half Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 59-47 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Dillard in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crosstown Classic at New Orleans Arena.
     Attendance for the doubleheader was 4,321. Xavier's men followed with a 60-55 victory over Dillard.
     Brittany Powell added 15 points for the Gold Nuggets (13-5 overall, 4-2 GCAC), and Johnna Williams had nine points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
     Syrena Edwards led Dillard (5-13, 1-5) with nine points. Edwards grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, and Chayla Green had a career-high 14 rebounds.
     Boyd was 5-of-6 from the floor, including three 3-pointers, to help the Nuggets build a 35-22 lead by halftime.
     Xavier committed 31 turnovers — the fourth time this season the Nuggets reached 30 — but limited Dillard to 23.9 percent shooting from the floor, the lowest by a Xavier opponent in 70 games.
     Xavier has won nine straight against Dillard and leads the series 50-18. The Nuggets are 6-0 against the Lady Blue Devils in New Orleans Arena.