NEW ORLEANS — Lauren Banks scored a season-high 22 points Tuesday, and Kam Shelley scored all 18 of hers in the second half to lead unbeaten Xavier University of Louisiana in a 79-49 Red River Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against North American.
        The Gold Nuggets — 17-0 overall, first place in the Red River at 14-0 and ranked 25th in the NAIA — will play host to Huston-Tillotson at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in XULA's Convocation Center.
        The teams were tied at 14 through one quarter, then the Gold Nuggets outscored the Lady Stallions 65-35 and outshot them 47.2 to 28.3 percent from the floor in the final three quarters.
        Shelley made four 3-pointers and Banks three. Janiya Reed had 12 points and nine rebounds for XULA, Joy Campbell had eight points, seven assists and five steals, and Zaria Harleaux had six points, seven rebounds and five steals.
        Maurdaisha Powell and Jewel Brandley scored 11 points apiece for North American (8-11, 6-9). Elisa Peralta entered with a team-leading 11.7 points per game, but she was scoreless with six turnovers in 22 minutes.
        XULA's 20 steals — including three apiece by Reed and Jala Williams — were a season high.
        The Gold Nuggets are the only XULA basketball team since 1941, female or male, to start a season with 17 consecutive victories. The 1940-41 Gold Rush finished that season 29-0. This season XULA is one of seven still-unbeaten NAIA women's teams. Among all four-year colleges, XULA is one of 19 still unbeaten.
        The NAIA will announce Wednesday its fifth coaches poll of the season. XULA is 8-0 since the most recent rankings Dec. 11.