HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Six Xavier University of Louisiana players made first-half 3-pointers Tuesday in a 64-56 women's basketball victory at William Carey.
     The Gold Nuggets (4-5), playing on the road for the fourth time in five days, snapped a five-game losing streak.
     XULA led 39-17 at halftime and 54-34 through three quarters. The Lady Crusaders (1-2) rallied to get as close as six points in the final 80 seconds.
     Maya Trench — a 5-foot-2 freshman point guard from Edgard, La., and a former West St. John High School standout — had 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists for XULA. She led the Gold Nuggets in those categories for the second time in four games.
     Making 3-pointers in the first half for XULA were Mikayla Bates, Essence Wells, Kelsey Joseph, Rosie Davis, Jalyn Hodge and Ireyon Keith. Davis and Jordan Coleman each made second-half treys, and the Gold Nuggets finished with a season-high-tying eight. Coleman's 3-pointer was her first of the seaaon.
     Fourteen Gold Nuggets scored. Aliyah Bell scored seven points, and Bates, Davis, Keith and Terriel Ross had six apiece. Wells had three steals.
     Teshia Jones had 13 points, four steals and six rebounds for William Carey (1-2), but she also had eight of the Lady Crusaders' 25 turnovers. Courtney Epting had 12 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Caroline Lumpkin scored nine.
     XULA outshot William Carey 41 to 29.5 percent from the floor. It was the third consecutive game and the fourth time this season that a XULA opponent shot less than 30 percent.
     The Gold Nuggets won for the second time in their last five trips to William Carey and extended their series lead to 53-22. The teams will meet again Feb. 1 in New Orleans.
     Next for the Gold Nuggets will be the 15th Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center. On Thursday, Langston will play Dillard at 5 p.m., and XULA will play LSU-Shreveport at 7 p.m. On Friday, LSUS will play Dillard at 1 p.m., and Langston will play XULA at 5 p.m. Sandwiched between the Friday college games will be a 3 p.m. girls prep matchup between East St. John and Ellender.