THIBODAUX – The Nicholls State University women's basketball team battled back from a 12-point second-half deficit against conference leading McNeese State to lead in the final minute, but a layup with four seconds remaining gave the Cowgirls a 72-71 victory over Nicholls on Wednesday night at Stopher Gym.

Nicholls (6-13, 1-5 SLC) looked to be on their way to earning their second straight conference victory after sophomore guard Alisha Allen, who paced the Colonels with a season-high 26 points, sank a pair of free throws with 19 seconds on the clock, giving Nicholls a 71-70 lead. However, with the clock winding down, McNeese's Ashlyn Baggett drove into the lane for a layup, putting the Cowgirls on top. Nicholls freshman KK Babin would miss a desperation three at the buzzer, giving McNeese the win.

Allen's season-best 26 points came from 9-of-15 from the field and 2-of-4 from behind the arc. Babin chipped in with 15 points while fellow freshman LiAnn McCarthy added 11.

McNeese State (14-5, 6-0 SLC), winners of seven straight games, was led by Baggett with a game-high 28 points. Trailing by one at the break, Baggett paced McNeese's second-half surge with 22 points. Kendra Wells and Raiyawna Gatlin rounded out the leaders with ten points each.

The Colonels opened the game strong, racing out to a 19-7 lead midway through the first period. The Nicholls' defense racked up seven steals off 12 turnovers before the break, led by Sumar Leslie with five. Allen would score 15 in the half, but McNeese shot 65 percent to keep the game close as Nicholls led 34-33 at the intermission.

The Cowgirls took control in the second half, using a 10-0 run over a span of just 47 seconds to lead 47-38. Baggett then gave McNeese their largest lead of the night, 52-40, with a bucket at the 14:01 mark.

Nicholls answered with a 9-0 run and would hang around before regaining the lead at 65-63 with less than four minutes remaining. The teams went back-and-forth down to the wire before Baggett's layup sealed the victory.

Nicholls finished at 47.9 percent (23-for-48) from the field while McNeese shot 51.9 percent (28-for-54). The Cowgirls held a significant edge on the boards, 33-23, which included 13 offensive rebounds.

The Colonels return to action on Saturday, Jan. 29, when they head to Beaumont, Texas to face the Lamar University Lady Cardinals. Tipoff at the Montagne Center is set for 2 p.m.