NACOGDOCHES, Texas -  The Nicholls State University women's basketball team (7-15, 2-7 Southland Conference) will look to make up some ground in the Southland Conference Tournament race when the Colonels hit the road to take on Stephen F. Austin (8-13, 5-3 Southland Conference) on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. tipoff in Nacogdoches.

With seven games left in the regular season, the Colonels begin the week just 1.5 games out of the Southland Conference tournament picture.  Nicholls will be looking to try to gain ground on Texas State and Texas-Arlington who are tied for the eighth and final Southland Conference Tournament spot with 3-5 conference records.

Nicholls is led by a trio of double-digit scorers.  Senior guard Ricshanda Bickham leads the way with a 14.5 steal/game average.  She is joined by freshman guard KK Babin (12.5 points/game) and sophomore forward Alisha Allen (11.5 points/game). 

The Colonels boast one of the best three point shooting teams in the nation, averaging 6.6 three-pointers/game.  Babin leads Nicholls from beyond the arc, connecting on 2.5 threes/game, the 45th best mark in the country and third best mark in the Southland Conference.

However, the Ladyjacks also figure to be a highly motivated team on Wednesday night.  SFA heads into the matchup with the Colonels coming off a 68-66 overtime loss to McNeese State that snapped a four-game winning streak.  Stephen F. Austin is just 0.5 games out of first place in the West Division, 1.0 game behind Lamar for the No. 2 seed at the conference tournament and 2.5 in back of top-seeded McNeese.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. in Nacogdoches.  Following the matchup with the Ladyjacks, the Colonels return to Nicholls to host Lamar on Saturday for the Colonels' 2011 Pink Zone Game.