SAN ANTONIO — Kasey Saldana and Patience Okpe
led a second-half rally Saturday that gave NAIA No. 15 Our Lady of the Lake
an 89-74 women's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.
The Saints (2-0) trailed 48-36 at halftime and 59-39
late in the third quarter, then seized momentum with 12 consecutive points to
open the final period.
Saldana scored 25 points, 13 in the second half,
and Okpe finished with 16, 14 in the second half. Okpe was 6-of-6 from
the floor after halftime.
Jas Hill scored all 16 of her points in the first
half for the Gold Nuggets (4-1), and
Maya Trench and
Kyla Duncan scored 13 apiece.
Hill grabbed six rebounds, and Trench had five assists.
XULA led by 15 twice in the second quarter, the second
time on a
Shaelyn Johnson basket at 7:54. OLLU took its first lead at 8:56 of the fourth
quarter on Brianna Henson's basket.
The Gold Nuggets shot 20.7 percent from the floor in the
second half and made one of their last 14 shots. XULA made no second-half 3-pointers
after making seven in the first half.
OLLU was plus-8 in turnovers and had a 31-9 advantage in points off of turnovers.
XULA's next game will start at 5 p.m. Monday
at LSU-Alexandria.