NEW ORLEANS — Christina Warren scored 16 points and Carmen Holcombe 12 Saturday to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana in a 59-54 women's basketball victory over Dillard in the opening game of the Crosstown Classic at The Barn.
     The Gold Nuggets (24-6, 6-0 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) extended their conference regular-season win streak to 24 games. Xavier was 18-0 in the GCAC last season.
     Xavier trailed 27-26 at halftime, but Warren and Ashley McGill made 3-pointers in the first 2:24 of the second half to put the Nuggets ahead to stay, 32-27. Xavier held its biggest lead, 53-44, after Keldra Hall's basket with 4:09 remaining.
     J'Ashala Haynes' basket with 1:43 remaining capped a 7-0 Dillard run which cut Xavier's margin to 53-51, but Warren beat the shot clock with a 3-pointer at 1:09 to make it 56-51.
     Jazzmin Smith scored 13 points and Ariel Mitchell 12 for Dillard (12-17, 3-4), which outshot Xavier 43.6 to 36.1 percent from the floor. Xavier outrebounded Dillard 38-28.
     Jazmoné Kelly led Xavier with a season-high nine rebounds and a career-high-tying seven steals. Marchelle Jones had eight points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.
     Xavier defeated Dillard for the fourth straight time and the 13th time in the last 14 meetings. Dillard has lost eight straight to Xavier at The Barn since the Lady Bleu Devils' last victory there in 1991. Xavier leads the series 54-19.
     It was the regular-season finale for both teams. Next will be the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Jacksonville, Fla., beginning Thursday. Xavier will have a first-round bye and play in the semifinals Friday.