NEW ORLEANS — Vinnie Briggs and Whitney Gathright scored 10 points apiece Thursday to lead NAIA No. 15 Xavier University of Louisiana in a 60-47 women's basketball victory against William Carey.
        The Gold Nuggets (6-5) won their second in a row and increased their home win streak to nine. They are 3-0 in the Convocation Center this season.
        William Carey scored the first two points, but the Nuggets answered with an 8-0 run and never lost the lead thereafter. Xavier led 31-20 at halftime and held its largest advantage, 60-39, after Danielle Tucker's basket with 3:09 remaining.
        Whitney Gaston-Loyd scored nine points in nine minutes for Xavier while missing one shot. Paige Gauthier did not start but led the Nuggets with eight assists and four steals. She is the first XU player of the last 10 seasons to produce eight or more assists in consecutive games.
        Jessica Hayes led William Carey (2-5) with nine points.
        Xavier outshot William Carey 41.1 to 36.2 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets committed 20 turnovers and gained 29. William Carey had a 35-33 rebound advantage, but Xavier had the two leading individuals: Tucker with seven and Carmen Holcombe with six.
        The teams will meet again Feb. 11 at William Carey.
        It was Xavier's final game before fall semester final exams, which will begin Monday. The Nuggets' next game will be Dec. 16 against UPR-Bayamon in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The next home game will start at 7 p.m. on Dec. 30 against Mobile in the Xavier Classic.