Final Stats EUGENE, Ore.  – Sumar Leslie led the Nicholls State University women's basketball team with 14 points and nine rebounds against UC Irvine in day one of the Global Sports Cage Classic, but the Anteaters' depth proved to be too much as UCI's bench outscored Nicholls, 36-5, en route to a 62-48 victory on Thursday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena.

With the loss, Nicholls falls to 1-3 on the season while UCI improves to 1-4. The Colonels will return to action in the GSCC on Friday (Nov. 25) when they take on Weber State. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 CST.

Nicholls shot 37 percent (19-of-51) from the field and was led by Leslie's fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season. Along with Leslie, KK Babin added nine points, while Alisha Allen tacked on eight.

Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes, as Nicholls held an 8-4 lead with less than 12 minutes remaining in the first period. UCI answered with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes and headed into the break with a 26-20 lead.

After the intermission, a steal by Babin led to a fastbreak layup for the Colonels, cutting the deficit to 26-22. However, the Anteaters strung together a 17-1 run to take a commanding 43-23 lead with 13:19 on the clock.

Down but not out, the Colonels clawed back to make the count 50-40 after a field goal by Babin with less than seven minutes left. Nicholls continued to hang around but were unable to come within single digits as they dropped their second straight contest.

Along with holding a huge advantage on bench points, UCI dominated inside the paint, outscoring Nicholls, 44-24. The Anteaters had four players in double figures, led by Jacquelyn Marshall with 14 points.

Nicholls will look to bounce back on Friday when they take on Weber State. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.