Final Stats THIBODAUX  – On Senior Night, junior Alisha Allen stole the spotlight by scoring a career-high 30 points as the Nicholls State University women's basketball team clinched its first postseason berth since 2005 with an 86-78 victory against Northwestern State on Wednesday at Stopher Gym.

With the win, Nicholls (14-14, 7-8) also matched its highest win total for a single season, which was set in 1990-91 campaign. The Colonels will have a chance to surpass the mark on Saturday in the season-finale at Southeastern Louisiana, with the game slated for a noon tipoff.

Allen's career night came on 9-of-12 from the field and 11-of-14 at the line. After trailing 36-34 at the break, Allen helped lead Nicholls to 52 points in the second half, hitting two baskets-and-ones and with two minutes left, drained a 3-pointer that gave Nicholls an eight-point lead. Northwestern State (6-22, 2-13) was forced to foul the rest of the way, but the nation's 19th-ranked team at the free throw line sank all 10 down the stretch, finishing the night at 84.8 percent (28-of-33).

Senior Sumar Leslie finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals, while fellow classmate Jasmine Hoskins chipped in with 10 points, all coming in the second half. Freshman Jenny Nash scored in double figures for the second straight game, tacking on 13 points and hit 2-of-3 from behind the arc.

In the first half, the Colonels forced NSU into 16 turnovers, but the Lady Demons were red-hot from the field, connecting on 15-of-27. Trudy Armstead was a force inside, scoring 16 of her 22 points to give Northwestern State a two-point edge.

After hitting only one 3-pointer in the first half, Nicholls found its touch from long range as the Colonel hit three from downtown in the first four minutes to take the lead. Sophomore LiAnn McCarthy opened the stanza with back-to-back threes before Nash hit one to give Nicholls a 44-39 advantage.

The Lady Demons went on a 7-0 run to knot the game at 51 after Jordi James, who led NSU with 24 points, nailed a trey at the 13:11 mark. However, sophomore KK Babin answered with a 3-ball on the next possession and the Colonels never looked back.

Nicholls saw its largest, 70-61, just under the five-minute mark and the Lady Demons managed to cut it to five points before Allen put the nail in the coffin with her only 3-pointer on the night.

Nicholls finished the night shooting 45.6 percent and made 6-of-17 from behind the arc. Northwestern State shot just under 50 percent and won the battle of the boards, 37-32.

Nicholls will wrap up the season in Hammond on Saturday as they take on Southeastern Louisiana. Game time is set for 12 p.m. If the Colonels win against SLU and Texas State falls to Sam Houston, Nicholls came move up to a six-seed in the Southland Conference Tournament.

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