Box Score
Jackson, MS-The Belhaven women's basketball team saw their three game winning streak come to an end Saturday night with a 62-53 loss to Xavier University in Rugg Arena. The Lady Blazers drop to 10-4 overall and 1-1 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Nuggets improved their overall mark to 9-4 and 1-1 in the GCAC.

 

Belhaven took the early lead on a basket by Jira Williams forty seconds into the contest and the Lady Blazers were off and rolling. Belhaven then jumped up by three points 4-1 on a basket by Mallory Hammack with just over 18 minutes to go in the opening half. It would prove to be the largest lead that the Lady Blazers would enjoy the entire night. Xavier's biggest lead of the half came at the 12 minute mark when Jasmine Grant made the second of two free throws attempts to put the Gold Nuggets up 12-7.

 

The rest of the half remained tight with eight total ties on the opening 20 minutes.

Free throw shooting played a major role in the first half. Neither team was all that effective from the charity stripe with Xavier going 11-20 and Belhaven 6-14. Despite their troubles at the line, the Lady Blazers took a one point lead at 30-29 heading into the locker room.

                                                                                                           

Belhaven's one point halftime advantage quickly evaporated in the opening minute of the second half on a two point field goal by LaTashia Wise off an assist from Shayla Boyd. With 10:03 to play, the Gold Nuggets built their lead to seven points on a Danielle Jones free throw making the score 45-38. The Lady Blazers closed to within one point of Xavier at 47-46 with 7:10 on the clock thanks to a pair of free throws by Jaelyn Stringer.

 

Xavier pushed the lead back to six points with just over four minutes to go but Belhaven responded quickly by getting back within two points at 54-52 with 3:05 to play. However, over the final three minutes the Gold Nuggets closed out the game with a 9-1 run to lock up the 62-53 win.

 

Jaelyn Stringer had 15 points to pace the Lady Blazer offense followed by Jira Williams with 10 points. Williams grabbed eight rebounds to lead the team on the glass and Stringer was also active on the boards with seven rebounds. Belhaven shot 37 percent from the field and went 13-28 from the free throw line which equates to a conversion rate of 46.4 percent. Free throw shooting proved to be the difference in the game as Xavier was able to knock down 15 of their 19 second half attempts at the charity stripe.

 

The Gold Nugget offense was anchored by Brittany Powell with a game high of 24 and eight rebounds. Danielle Jones tossed in 14 points off the bench for Xavier on Saturday night.