NEW ORLEANS — Brittany Powell scored 18 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 64-52 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Mobile.
     The Gold Nuggets (24-5 overall, 17-0 GCAC), who moved up two places in the national poll announced late Monday afternoon, extended their winning streak to 17 games.
     Jazmoné Kelly and Jasmine Grant made 3-pointers during a 12-2 Xavier run which erased a Mobile 19-14 lead. The Nuggets led 33-28 at halftime and never lost the lead thereafter.
     Powell, Xavier's only double-figure scorer, had 12 second-half points. Her steal and basket with 3:46 remaining made it 55-50, and another Powell basket after a turnover made it 59-50 at 2:09.
     Alice Honnery scored 12 points, Alyssa Lane 11 and Adrienne Mackay 10 for Mobile (15-11, 7-9). The Lady Rams outshot the Nuggets 48.8 to 36.1 percent from the floor, but Xavier gained 33 turnovers — 24 by steal — and committed 15. Grant had a career-high seven steals.
     Xavier will play SUNO at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at The Barn and attempt to become the second women's team to go 18-0 in GCAC games. The first to do it was Xavier in 1997-98.