Final Stats THIBODAUX, La. – The first meeting between Nicholls' and Oral Roberts' women's basketball teams turned out to be a classic as Alisha Allen sank a go-ahead jumper with nine seconds remaining to give Nicholls a 69-66 win Saturday at Stopher Gym.

Nicholls improves to 9-4 on the year and evens its conference record to 1-1. With the loss, Oral Roberts falls to 4-8 and 1-1.

Allen led the Colonels for the second straight game, scoring 18 points while recording nine rebounds and five assists. Jenny Nash scored 14 with 12 in the second half, and Jasmine Scott went 5-for-5 in her first start, finishing with 12 points.

Nicholls shot 52.8 percent in the game, including 55.2 percent in the first half. The Colonels came out hot, taking an 11-4 lead before ORU answered with 15-4 run, taking its first lead of the day at 17-15 after a 3-pointer by Taylor Cooper. The Golden Eagles were efficient from behind the arc in the opening half, making 4-of-6, with Cooper connecting all on three of her attempts.

For the rest of the first half, the teams went back-and-forth as the score was tired seven times until Babin sank her third 3-pointer of the half to give Nicholls a 38-33 lead. Sarah Shelton, who had a game-high 21 points, would add a bucket for ORU before the intermission to make the score 38-35.

The second half was much of the same until Nicholls grabbed a little momentum when Allen tied the game at 48 before Nash stole the inbounds and drained a 3-pointer at the 13:10 mark. Slyeida Ellis put the Colonels up 53-49 a minute later, but there would be little separation the rest of the way.

Leading by four, 63-59, with less than three minutes to go, the Colonels were unable to keep Shelton from scoring inside as she pulled ORU to within two. The Golden Eagles then picked up a steal and Kevi Luper converted on a basket-and-one to put ORU on top with 2:13 left.

Nash came through for Nicholls with a jumper, but Shelton scored on a putback to make the count 66-65 ORU. Following an empty possession for the Colonels, freshman Emani White came up with a big steal to give the ball back to Nicholls, setting up Allen's game-winning jumper from the left elbow.

On the inbounds, White picked up another steal and sank two free throws with four seconds left. Jaci Bigham got off a 3-pointer at the buzzer but came up short as Nicholls held on for its first conference win of the season.

White contributed with five points off the bench and had three assists and three steals. LiAnn McCarthy and KK Babin chipped in with nine points each.

Along with Shelton, ORU was led by Cooper with 16 points and Luper added 12. Bigham finished with nine points and a game-high 10 assists.

The Colonels return to the court on Monday at McNeese State. Tipoff in Lake Charles is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.