Box Score and Play-by-Play

THIBODAUX - Down by as many as 18 in the second half, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team (8-18, 3-10 Southland Conference) rallied to within seven in the final period.  However, the Central Arkansas Bears (16-10, 8-5 Southland Conference) managed to pull away in the final minutes, taking a 68-53 win in Stopher Gym on Wednesday night.

The Colonels were led by freshman forward LiAnn McCarthy, who poured in a team-high 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and freshman guard KK Babin, who added 16 points while going 3-for-7 from three-point range.

However, the Bears were led by a dominating performance from Megan Herbert, who totaled a game-high 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting and pulled down a game-high 20 rebounds, 13 of which came in the first half.

Led by Herbert, the Bears got off to a fast start, taking a 31-17 lead into halftime.  The Bears shot 41.4 percent from the floor in the first half and limited the Colonels to 29.2 percent shooting from the field in the opening frame en route to their 14 point halftime lead.

The Bears would stretch that lead to 18, their largest of the night, as a jumper by Desiree Rogers made it 35-17 with 19:09 left in the second half.  The Colonels responded by going on a 19-8 run over the next six minutes to fight their way back into the ballgame.  A free throw by McCarthy at the 13:16 mark capped the run and brought Nicholls to within seven at 43-36.

The Colonels and Bears would trade buckets over the next two possessions as UCA extended their lead to nine, only to have Nicholls answer to bring it back to within seven each time.  However, the Colonels would not get any closer the rest of the way as UCA began to pull away once again.

The Bears went on a 15-7 run to go up 13 points with 6:13 left.  UCA would continue to extend that lead over the final six minutes before claiming the 68-53 final.

The Colonels will return to action on Saturday with a visit to McNeese State as part of a men's and women's basketball double header.  After a trip to Northwestern State on March 2, the Colonels will return to Thibodaux on March 5 to host Southeastern Louisiana in the 2011 home court and regular season finale.