Final Stats Box Score and Play-by-Play

THIBODAUX -  Down by as many as 15 in the second half, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team (7-15, 2-7 Southland Conference) rallied to take the lead with less than three minutes left.  However, it wasn't enough as the Texas State Bobcats (8-13, 3-5 Southland Conference) held on for a 66-62 victory over the Colonels on Saturday in Stopher Gym.

The Colonels were led by 22 points from senior guard Ricshanda Bickham.  Junior forward Jasmine Hoskins added 18 points while grabbing nine rebounds to narrowly miss a double-double and turning in a team-high five steals.  Sophomore forward Alisha Allen added 11 points to give Nicholls three double-digit scorers.  However, 11 different Bobcats put their names in the scoring column, led by Diamond Ford's 22 points. 

Nicholls took on a much larger (both in stature and team numbers) foe in Texas State.  The Bobcats used 13 players throughout the game and came in as one of the best rebounding teams in the conference.  However, the Colonels kept the game close by grabbing 43 rebounds to the Bobcats 49.  Nicholls scored 16 second chance points off of 18 offensive boards.  Meanwhile the Nicholls defense forced 29 turnovers that led to 25 points on the other end.

Following a first half that saw four tie scores and four lead changes, Nicholls took a 32-31 lead into the lockeroom at halftime.  But Texas State answered with a huge run to open the second half. 

The Bobcats opened the second period with an 11-0 run to go up 42-32 with 16:11 left.  After the Colonels scored their first basket of the second half, a three pointer by Bickham at the 14:48 mark, Texas State expanded it's lead to 15 as a layup by Ford completed an 8-0 run and made it 50-35 with 13:36 left.

The Colonels comeback began with 6:48 remaining.  Bickham sank in a layup in the paint off a fast break to pull the Colonels to within 11, making it 59-48.  That sparked a 16-1 run by the Colonels who took their first lead since halftime on a putback layup off an offensive board by Hoskins to make it 62-60 in favor of the Colonels.

However, Texas State would not go quietly.  The Bobcats reclaimed the lead by stopping the Colonels on each of their next possessions and getting a free throw and a layup from Ford to go up 63-62 with 1:56 left.  After both sides missed on their next possessions, Texas State's Chika Ofogebu connected on a pair of free throws, the second of which was waved off due to a lane violation.  With 44 seconds left Nicholls was down 64-62.

Unfortunately, for the Colonels, Nicholls was turned away on its next possession.  Now forced to foul, Ford connected on both of her free throw attempts to ice the game for the 66-62 final.

The Colonels will return to Stopher Gym on Saturday, Feb. 12 when Nicholls hosts Lamar in Nicholls' annual Pink Zone game against defending Southland Conference regular season and tournament champion Lamar.  The Colonels will be raising money by collecting pledges for every three pointer they make in support of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund for Breast Cancer Research.  Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.