NEW ORLEANS — Jasmine Grant made five 3-pointers to tie her career high and scored 17 points Saturday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 65-49 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Dillard in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Crosstown Classic at The Barn.
     Brittany Powell added 16 points and a career-best five assists for the Gold Nuggets (23-5 overall, 16-0 GCAC).
     Jazzmin Smith scored 17 points and Lauren Daniel 12 for Dillard (10-16, 3-13).
     There were three first-half ties before Grant's 3-pointer at 5:34 gave Xavier the lead for good at 19-17. The Gold Nuggets led 25-23 at halftime, then pulled away with a 13-2 run in the first five minutes of the second half. Grant capped the burst with her fourth 3-pointer.
     The Nuggets, who lead NAIA Division I in scoring defense, allowed less than 50 points for the eighth time in their last nine games.
     Xavier leads the series with Dillard — its city, conference and HBCU rival — 52-19. The Nuggets have won 11 of the last 12 meetings and 33 of the last 39.