NEW ORLEANS — Kishaun Williams scored 18 points Monday, and Brandy Broome had 14 points and 15 rebounds to lead SUNO to an 81-71 women's basketball victory against Xavier University at The Castle.
    The Lady Knights (16-4, 11-1) clinched the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship — the second in the program's history and the first since 1999-2000.
    Marquetta Stokes scored 16 points and Rayvin Miller 12 for SUNO. Broome also had six assists, three blocked shots and three steals.
    Donyeah Mayfield had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Gold Nuggets (15-14, 8-5), and Ireyon Keith scored 10. Vinnie Briggs grabbed 11 rebounds.
    Former XU player Jessica Savannah put SUNO ahead to stay, 28-27, with a basket at 6:11 of the first half. The Lady Knights led 41-38 at halftime and pulled away in the final 10 1/2 minutes after Kelsey Joseph's 3-pointer cut SUNO's advantage to 54-53.
    SUNO outshot Xavier 42.3 to 39.2 percent from the floor, 50 to 33.3 percent in the second half. Xavier had a 49-39 rebound advantage.
    SUNO completed a two-game regular-season sweep of Xavier, last year's GCAC Tournament champion.
    Xavier will conclude the regular season in a 5 p.m. Saturday game against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XU's Convocation Center. The GCAC Tournament will begin March 6 with women's quarterfinal games at Dillard and the men's quarterfinals at Xavier. All tournament games March 7-8 will be played at Xavier.

---