NEW ORLEANS — The late-season surge of Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball continued Friday when it rolled to an 80-60 first-round victory against Tougaloo in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at SUNO's The Castle.
     The Gold Nuggets (15-11), seeded third, won their seventh in a row. They'll play second seed Edward Waters or seventh seed SUNO in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Saturday at XULA's Convocation Center.
     Mikayla Bates tied her career high with 16 points, Essence Wells scored 13, and Maya Trench had 11 for XULA. Gina Smith grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and reached double figures for the sixth time this season. DeDe Martinez blocked six shots, the most in a game by a Gold Nugget in 31 years.
     XULA led 53-26 at halftime after scoring its most points in the half of a GCAC Tournament game since March 1, 2001. The Nuggets' perimeter game was potent; they made 7-of-9 3-pointers in the first half en route to a season-high 60 percent (9-of-15) for the game. Wells made 4-of-5 3s.
     Jermani Thompson scored a career-best 23 points, Jamesia Grice 11 and Debraia Bell 10 for the Lady Bulldogs (10-17).
     The Gold Nuggets scored 33 second-quarter points, their most ever in that period.
     "The first half I thought we played like the team I thought we would be all season," XULA coach Bo Browder said. "The second half we didn't play very well."
     XULA has reached 70 points in every game of its win streak. In the first 19 games it reached 70 six times.
     "We're just trying to stay humble and hungry," Bates said.
     With Martinez leading the block party — she had three in each half — XULA finished with 12, its most in a game in the last 14 seasons. Smith and Angelle Simon had two blocks apiece, and Bates and Ireyon Keith had one apiece.