Final Stats THIBODAUX, La.  – Suiting up for the final time in Stopher Gym, senior Alisha Allen scored a season-high 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had a key block down the stretch as the Nicholls State University women's basketball team picked up a season-sweep against McNeese State with a 65-59 victory Saturday evening.

Nicholls closes out the regular season with a 19-10 overall record and 11-7 in the Southland. McNeese falls to 16-13 on the season and 11-7 in conference. With the sweep, Nicholls wins the tiebreaker against McNeese, earning the No. 4 seed and a first-round bye in the Southland Conference Tournament. The Colonels will take on the winner of McNeese (No. 5) and Northwestern State (No. 8) on Thursday at 11 a.m.

Allen, the only senior in the Colonels' 2013 class, shined on Senior Day for the second straight year as the Garland, Texas native stole the spotlight last season with a career-high 30 points. In the first half against McNeese, Allen scored 16 points to fuel Nicholls to a 39-34 lead. Junior KK Babin added nine points off 3 3-pointers but was held scoreless the rest of the way.

Before the break, Nicholls saw its largest lead after an 8-1 run put them up 25-15. A basket-and-one by Allen started the spurt before Babin drained one of her buckets from behind the arc. Nicholls made six from 3-point range on the day, all coming in the first half.

In the second stanza, the Colonels looked to be headed towards a victory until Ashlyn Baggett, who led Mcneese with 25 points, knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to make the score 53-52 Nicholls with less than six minutes to go. Two free throws then gave McNeese its first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

A layup by freshman Hope Pawlowski gave Nicholls back the advantage before Allen extended the lead to 57-54 at the three-minute mark. McNeese answered with a field goal by Caitlyn Baggett, but Allen came back once again with a bucket.

Down 59-56, Caitlyn Baggett knotted the game with a clutch 3-pointer with 94 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, junior Jasmine Scott came up big with an offensive rebound which led to a pair of free throws to break the tie. On the other end of the court, Allen blocked a shot inside, resulting in two more free throws for Scott, giving Nicholls a four-point edge with 30 ticks left.

McNeese turned it over on the next possession and Emani White and Allen would tack on a free throw each to make the final 65-59.

Nicholls shot 38 percent from the field and led in rebounding, 47-44. Jasmine Scott chipped in with seven rebounds and eight points, with White adding eight points off the bench. The Cowgirls finished 30 percent from the field and made 9-of-27 from behind the arc.

The Southland Conference Tournament will be held at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, starting on Wednesday, March 13. For tickets, visit geauxcolonels.com or call the ticket office at 985-448-4790.