HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — Freshman guard Nina German led a second-half rally Saturday that lifted Xavier University of Louisiana to a 57-49 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Rust.
     The Gold Nuggets (12-5, 2-0) won for the seventh time in their last nine games.
     German scored a career-high 13 points, four during a 12-2 run that turned XULA's 41-37 deficit into a 49-43 lead with 6:37 remaining. XULA outscored Rust 17-6 in the fourth quarter and tied a school record for fewest points allowed in the fourth.
     Joi Simmons scored 11 points for XULA and was 5-of-6 from the floor. German had five assists and a career-best eight rebounds. Nahrie Pierce grabbed a season-high nine rebounds.
     Keimeshia Walker had 19 points and five steals for Rust (11-3, 0-3), which led 32-26 at halftime after outscoring the Gold Nuggets 19-10 in the second quarter.
     "Defense, defense, defense," XULA coach Bo Browder said of the fourth-quarter rally, "and we started making some shots we did not make earlier."
     The Gold Nuggets allowed their fewest second-half points, 17, on an opponent's floor since Feb. 12, 2011.
     XULA will stay on the road and travel to Little Rock, Ark., for a 5:30 p.m. GCAC game Monday against Philander Smith.