NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana led wire-to-wire in the second half Thursday and earned a 66-62 women's basketball victory against Edward Waters.
        Nia Bishop led XULA (5-3) with 21 points. Nina German had 12 points and four assists, O.C. Mbakop Ngassam had 10 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and three steals, and Abryhia Irons had nine points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals with no turnovers.
        Bishop became the first XULA woman to score 20 points in consecutive home games since Jas Hill in January 2019 — and the first to do it in consecutive games since Whitney Gathright in December 2014.
        Gathright, now known as Whitney Kelley, is in her first season as a XULA assistant coach.
        "We played well as a team," XULA head coach Bo Browder said. "Our defense was really good. Nia Bishop is taking over the leadership role of our team, but this was still a good team win."
        Emari Bell had 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks for Edward Waters (2-4), and La'Quanza Glover had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
        An Irons 3-pointer — her first of the season — put XULA ahead to stay at 33-30 with 48 seconds remaining in the first half. It was 34-32 at halftime, and three times XULA led by 12 in the third quarter, the last at 52-40.
        It was the fourth consecutive time that a XULA-Edward Waters game was decided by four or fewer points. They met three times last season, with XULA winning by one and two points and the Lady Tigers winning by four.
        In the last of seven games to conclude four days of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference group play, Talladega used an early 11-0 run to pave the way for a 71-62 victory against Edward Waters. Talladega and Rust both finished the event with 2-1 GCAC records, XULA and Edward Waters were 1-1, and Philander Smith was 0-2.
        The XULA-Edward Waters game was a late addition to the schedule after Tougaloo and Dillard withdrew late last week because of health issues. XULA's victory against Edward Waters will count in the GCAC standings only if their Feb. 3 meeting at Talladega, Ala. — part of the second week of group play — is scrapped.