Final Stats Box Score

THIBODAUX, La.  – Sophomore Emani White scored six of her team-high 18 points in the final 38 seconds and had a key steal as the Nicholls State University women's basketball team overcame a double-digit second half deficit to knock off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 67-60, on Saturday afternoon at Stopher Gym.

Trailing by as much as 11 after the break, Nicholls (8-9, 3-3) didn't lead in the second half until a pair of Jenny Nash free throws put the Colonels up 57-56 with less than four minutes remaining. With the game tied at 60, Nash came up with a key block which led to a bank-shot 3-pointer by White with 38 seconds left. On the next possession, White picked up a steal and scored on a layup which put the game out of reach to snap the Colonels' three-game losing streak.

Four Colonels finished in double figures as Nash had 12 points and seven rebounds, KK Babin scored 10 points and Jasmine Scott came off the bench for 10. Nicholls shot 38 percent from the field and just 27 percent from behind the arc (6 of 22), but the Colonels capitalized at the free throw line, making 23 of 29.

Brittany Mbamalu led all scorers with 23 points, making 7 of 12 3-pointers. Mbamalu was virtually unstoppable in the first half as she made 6 of 7 3-pointers to give Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (8-9, 1-5) a 36-30 lead at the half.

In the first 10 minutes of the game, Nicholls grabbed a 20-12 lead as the Colonels knocked down three 3-pointers. White, Babin and Nash all had one before two free throws by Marina Lilly, who had eight points and five rebounds, gave Nicholls an eight-point lead.

The Islanders used the 3-ball to answer, making three themselves to fuel a 16-2 run over the next five minutes. Down 22-20, Mbamalu drained back-to-back 3-pointers before a layup by Shola Adebayo capped the run to put the score at 28-22.

With 38 seconds left, Nicholls trimmed the deficit to 33-30 on a pair of free throws by Scott; however, Mbamalu hit her sixth 3-pointer of the half right before the buzzer.

After the break, the teams traded runs, starting first with the Islanders. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi took their largest lead at 41-30, but Nicholls answered with a 12-2 run as Taylor Morrison, who scored nine points, made a three to bring the Colonels within one at 43-42. Mbamalu haulted the surge with her final 3-pointer of the game and Jasmine Shaw, who had 11 points for the Islanders, scored two straight field goals to push the lead back to eight at the 12:46 mark.

With less than six minutes remaining, Nicholls made it a one-point game after Nash scored on a putback. After a basket by the Islanders, the Colonels finally regained the lead after free throws by Babin and Nash.

At the 2:32 mark, the Islanders' Ashley Darley came up with a steal and a layup before Scott tied the game for the fourth time on a free throw. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi went up 60-58 on a layup, but Scott came up with a big basket inside to tie the game with 90 seconds left.

After Nash's block, the Colonels looked to have wasted a chance to take the lead until White threw up a 3-pointer before the shot clock expired and it bounced in off the glass. White's steal and layup gave Nicholls a five-point lead and the Colonels added two more free throws in the final seconds to secure the win.

The teams finished dead even in rebounding at 37 each and combined for 52 turnovers. White picked up five steals and led the Colonels with three assists.

The Islanders shot 36 percent from the field and made 9 of 31 from behind the arc.

Nicholls wraps up its three-games-in-six-day stretch with a date at McNeese State on Tuesday night. Tipoff against the Cowgirls is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.