NEW ORLEANS — Jas Hill scored 22 points Saturday, and Xavier University of Louisiana escaped with a 70-68 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Edward Waters.
     The Gold Nuggets (14-5, 4-0) led 48-35 at halftime and 57-43 midway through the third quarter, but the outcome was in doubt until the Lady Tigers (10-9, 2-3) missed two shots — both 2-pointers — on the final possession.
     Hill scored 17 first-half points en route to XULA's first 20-point individual performance in 15 games. The junior guard/forward also grabbed a season-best and game-high eight rebounds.
     Kyla Duncan scored 12 points for XULA — she reached double figures for the first time in six games — and Joi Simmons scored a season-high-tying 11 points, all in the first half. Nahrie Pierce produced eight points and five rebounds.
     Mia Leite scored 18 points, Jermisha Collins 17 and Shakawanza Brown 14 for Edward Waters, the only GCAC team to beat XULA at home last season — that was in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
     It was the second straight game that the Gold Nuggets won despite being outscored in 3-of-4 periods. XULA shot 75 percent from the floor to win the second quarter 27-13.
     Edward Waters outshot XULA 47.4 to 42.6 percent from the floor. The Gold Nuggets shot 25.9 percent in the second half after shooting 59.3 percent in the first half. XULA committed a season-worst 27 turnovers.
     The Gold Nuggets will visit Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. Monday, then play Dillard at 3 p.m. next Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at the Convocation Center. XULA and Dillard share first place in the GCAC, with Talladega a half-game behind at 4-1.