NEW ORLEANS — Brittany Powell scored 19 points Monday, and Xavier University of Louisiana made three 3-pointers in the first two minutes in an 82-70 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Mobile.
     The Gold Nuggets (14-5 overall, 5-2 GCAC) earned their third consecutive victory in five days and improved their winning streak at The Barn to 26 games. Coupled with Loyola's 69-61 home victory against LSU-Shreveport, Xavier moved a game closer to first place in the GCAC — one game behind Loyola and LSUS. The Nuggets remained tied for third with William Carey, a 64-56 winner at Dillard.
     Xavier will play Loyola at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at The Barn. and Dillard will visit LSUS, and William Carey will play host to SUNO at that same time.
     The Nuggets' trio of 3-pointers — two by SiMon Franklin and the other by LaTashia Wise — keyed an 11-3 run to start the game. Xavier never lost the lead.
     Johnna Williams scored a season-high 15 points for Xavier, and Franklin scored 15. Marchelle Jones scored a career-high 13 points.
     Danielle Goodly scored 21 points, Gerica Johnson 20 and Sherri McIntosh 12 for Mobile (10-9, 3-4), which lost for the fourth time in five games. McIntosh grabbed 12 rebounds, and Johnson had nine.
     Mobile has not won on the road since Nov. 19.
     Xavier outshot the Rams 49 to 44 percent from the floor and had season highs for points and assists (25). Franklin led the Nuggets with a career-high-tying five assists.
     Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against Loyola at The Barn.