HAWKINS, Texas — NAIA No. 18 Xavier University of Louisiana pulled away in the final 22 minutes Saturday for a 76-54 Red River Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Jarvis Christian.
        The Gold Nuggets (23-1 overall, 11-0 road, 20-1 RRAC) won their fifth in a row and remained tied for first place in the conference with LSU-Shreveport, a 69-42 winner at North American.
        XULA trailed 32-31 with two minutes remaining in the first half, then outscored the Bulldogs 45-22 thereafter.
        Kam Shelley scored 18 points, Lauren Banks 17 and Sierra Headquist 14 for XULA. Shelley scored 14 in the second half. Headquist's total was her second highest this season.
        Marquise Nelson scored 11 points for Jarvis Christian (3-18, 3-17), which lost its seventh in a row and its second in five days against XULA.
        The Gold Nuggets will return to the road for three conference games next week, starting with LSU-Alexandria at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The final XULA home appearance of the regular season will be the Crosstown Classic doubleheader Feb. 18 against Dillard at the Convocation Center.