NEW ORLEANS — Christina Warren scored 12 points, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining, to help NAIA No. 22 Xavier University of Louisiana hold off Florida Memorial 55-47 Friday.
     It was the regular-season opener for both women's basketball teams. The Gold Nuggets won a home opener for the 19th consecutive time.
     Warren's 3-pointer, her second of the game, answered Florida Memorial's 11-0 run and gave the Nuggets a 46-43 lead. But Xavier didn't take the lead for good until 6-foot-4 freshman center Simone Johnson scored on a pass from Jazmoné Kelly to give the Nuggets a 48-46 advantage with 2:33 remaining.
     Bianca Sellers scored 17 points and Daniella Howard 12 for Florida Memorial, the preseason favorite in The Sun Conference, an NAIA Division II league. Sellers' two free throws at 4:20 tied the score at 43.
     Xavier, which led NAIA Division I in scoring defense last season, outshot Florida Memorial 39 to 27 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets led 27-20 at halftime after building their biggest lead, 23-11, in the 13th minute.
     The Lady Lions took their only lead at 5-3 on Howard's basket at 7:16. But Xavier answered with a 14-2 run, including a combined 12 points from Warren and junior-college transfer Keldra Hall.
     Six of Xavier's nine freshmen were among the 14 Nuggets who played. Freshman Chelsea Broussard had six points, two steals and two blocks in 11 relief minutes.
     Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at LSU-Shreveport. Florida Memorial will stay in town and play at Dillard at 5 p.m. Saturday.