ALEXANDRIA, La. — Xavier University of Louisiana got its offense untracked Wednesday and earned its first women's basketball victory of the season, 84-68 against LSU-Alexandria.
     Essence Wells scored a career-high 18 points for the Gold Nuggets (1-2). Taylor Jones scored 15 points, Maya Trench had 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and DeDe Martinez had 11 points and eight rebounds.
     XULA scored the first seven points and led wire-to-wire. The Nuggets' largest lead was 75-57 on a Martinez basket with 2:53 remaining.
     Lillie Snowden scored 19 points, Katie Lemieux 13 and Shelanita Starks 11 for LSUA (0-1).
     The Gold Nuggets averaged 42 points and shot 21.6 from the floor in their first two games but shot 40.6 percent against LSUA, 52.6 percent in the first half. Trench, Jones and Wells each made a pair of 3-pointers.
     XULA produced 17 steals, three apiece by Trench, Jones, Mikayla Bates and Gina Smith.
     The Gold Nuggets will try to even their record at .500 in a 5:30 p.m. game Tuesday against William Carey at Hattiesburg, Miss.