NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana scoring more than half its points off turnovers, cruised Saturday to a 75-47 women's basketball victory against Texas College in the opener of a homecoming doubleheader.
     Whitney Gaston-Loyd had 12 points and a season-high eight rebounds for the Gold Nuggets (4-2), ranked 15th in NAIA Division I, and Whitney Gathright had 11 points and a career-best five steals.
     Xavier gained 39 turnovers, its most since January 2011, and converted them into 42 points.
     Janee Stevenson scored 13 points for the Lady Steers (0-7).
     Xavier outscored Texas College 11-2 in the first five minutes and led by double digits for the final 33 minutes. It was 40-26 at halftime, and the Gold Nuggets took their biggest lead, 71-36, on Kelsee Singleton's basket with 5:01 remaining.
     Xavier outscored Texas College 12-2 in the first seven minutes of the second half.
     Twelve of 13 Xavier players scored. Danielle Tucker had nine points and a career-high-tying four steals, Paige Gauthier and Chelsea Broussard scored eight points apiece, and freshman Jasmine Bush had a season-high seven points.
     Xavier outshot the Lady Steers 38.3 to 35.9 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 51-32. The Gold Nuggets grabbed 28 offensive rebounds and had 20 steals.
     Xavier's next two games will be against ranked NAIA teams — No. 23 Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday and No. 2 Oklahoma City on Friday — in the Capital City Classic at Oklahoma City. The Xavier Classic, a Thanksgiving event for the past seven seasons, has moved this year to the week after Christmas.