Final Stats KATY, Texas – The Nicholls State University women's basketball team set a program and tournament record with 14 3-pointers as the Colonels upset top-seed Central Arkansas, 79-59, on Tuesday night at the Merrell Center in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament.

With the win, Nicholls (15-15) advances to the semifinals to take on No. 4 Stephen F. Austin on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

Sophomore LiAnn McCarthy led the Colonels to its first ever victory in the SLC Tournament, scoring a career-high 32 points, including seven 3-pointers. As a team, Nicholls scorched the nets from behind the arc, finishing the night 14-of-25.

Sophomore KK Babin added 10 points, making three 3-pointers to set the Colonel single-season record at 77 and senior Sumar Leslie had a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 13 assists.

Nicholls used a 16-3 run early in the first half to jump on Central Arkansas (24-6), who is the 13th-ranked team in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, building a 24-12 lead. The Colonels drained five threes in the period and led by as much as 19 before heading into the break with a 39-23 lead.

After the break, unlike the first matchup this season against the Sugar Bears where UCA rallied back to erase a second-half 17-point deficit, the Colonels had an answer for every run by Central Arkansas. Five minutes in, UCA cut the lead down to 42-35 before Babin nailed a three to push the lead back to double digits.

The Sugar Bears clawed back once again to trim the lead to six after a 3-pointer by SLC Player of the Year, Megan Herbert, but McCarthy answered with back-to-back threes. Herbert finished the day with 16 points and a game-high 19 rebounds.

Leading 56-51 with seven minutes left, the Colonels put the nail in the coffin with a 16-2 spurt over the next four minutes. The decisive run included three 3-pointers, capped by McCarthy's sixth of the night to put the score at 72-53 with 2:59 on the clock. With the final seconds running off the clock, McCarthy, added her seventh bucket from downtown to make the final, 79-59.

Nicholls shot 47.5 percent on the night and had 24 assists on 28 field goals. The Colonels, who were tied for the league-lead in field goal percentage with UCA, held the Sugar Bears to 37.7 percent shooting. Along with the 24 helpers, Nicholls only turned the ball over five times in the game.

Along with securing its first win in postseason action, the Colonels set the program record with 15 victories in a single season, and snapped a six-game skid against the Sugar Bears.

POSTGAME QUOTES

Nicholls head coach DoBee Plaisance
Opening statement...
"I have always wanted to be a position to say this, but something we say everyday in the huddle is "All things are possible through the Lord, Jesus Christ. I am not trying to be philosophical or anything. I felt it. There was a reason why we came in the way we did. I could not be any prouder of these women. At shoot-around today, I was teary-eyed. Today, I couldn't say anything. I was like, 'they got it, they got it.' I can't be any more pleased with the women. Let me say this, hat's off to [Central Arkansas head coach] Matt Daniel and his crew. He is a class act. His staff is a class act. His players are a class act. They have deserved a lot, and I can't say enough about their heart and hustle out there. Both teams were battling out there. Neither team wanted to give it up, and I am just thankful at the end of the day, we won the war."

On Nicholls' defense...
"We happened to do a lot of things that happened to disrupt their comfort zone. It was a little risky because they have so many weapons on the outside. On any given day, any player can launch from deep, but we had to take some chances. Not that I am going to get into the defensive scheme, but if anyone has watched us all year, we are a match-up zone and we played man-to-man tonight."

On slowing down Player of the Year Megan Herbert...
"She isn't the player of the year for nothing. She is just a great person of character. We knew that we had to contain her, and it was by committee. The plan was to front her and deny her a touch. And then we had to help and double-team down. We came up with a game plan and it was the players that executed it."


Nicholls sophomore forward LiAnn McCarthy
On tonight's game...
"I am just speechless. I am so excited that we just be the No. 1 team in the conference. Congratulations to Central Arkansas. They are a really good team. We lost to them twice in the regular season, but we won tonight when it counted."

Nicholls senior guard Sumar Leslie
On finishing the game strong...
"Coach always preaches about finishing strong, and tonight we did what we had to do. The defense was the main key in coming up with the win. I believe from the beginning of the game it was very important to keep the energy going and intensity as a team. We kept it going throughout the whole game. Everything came together and we finished strong as a whole. We played as a unit and we played together to get the win."