TYLER, Texas —
Fatima Black scored a season-high 16 points Thursday, and NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana dominated the second quarter in a 76-58 Red River Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Texas College.
The Gold Nuggets (13-0 overall, 10-0 Red River) continued the best start in the program's Title IX history, 47 seasons. It was XULA's first game in 12 days. The Gold Nuggets also matched the best start by a XULA basketball team, female or male, since 1940-41. The XULA men started 13-0 in 2010-11.
XULA trailed 19-11, then outscored the Lady Steers 24-0 in the final 8:01 of the first half.
Black, a junior in her first XULA season after transferring from NCAA Division I Morgan State, scored in double figures for the first time with the Gold Nuggets. Black was 6-of-9 from the floor, including 2-of-2 3-pointers, and 2-of-3 from the line in 11 minutes.
Joy Campbell scored 16 points for XULA, and
Lauren Banks had 11. Campbell,
Sierra Headquist and
Jala Williams grabbed seven rebounds apiece. Banks and Campbell had three steals apiece.
Tyler Pyburn scored 19 points for Texas College (3-10, 2-8), which dropped its fourth in a row. Keaundra Kelly had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
XULA outshot the Lady Steers 44.4 to 33.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 53-34.
The victory was the Gold Nuggets' 27 in their last 30 games.
The next game for both teams will be against each other: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at XULA's Convocation Center.
In the other RRAC women's games Thursday:
• North American won 77-58 at Texas A&M-Texarkana
• Texas A&M-San Antonio won 75-64 at Paul Quinn
• Southwest (N.M.) won 73-59 at home against Our Lady of the Lake