Final Stats Box Score

BEAUMONT, Texas – Three consecutive 3-pointers to close the half gave Lamar a 12-point lead and the Nicholls State University women's basketball team could never recover as the Colonels suffered their first conference loss of the season, falling to the Lady Cardinals 82-68 at the Montagne Center Thursday night.

Emani White posted the Colonels' second straight double-double, finishing with 23 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Freshman Taylor Morrison scored a career-high 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting and Jenny Nash added 10 points

Nicholls (7-7, 2-1) knocked down six 3-pointers in the first half, including four by Morrison, but Lamar (7-7, 2-1) had nine from behind the arc and finished the night with 12. LU shot 49 percent in the first half to grab a 42-30 advantage.

After a slow start put Nicholls behind 9-3, White played a key role to pull Nicholls within two at 14-12. The sophomore scored seven points and had an assist before Jasmine Scott scored inside to even the score at 14.

Nicholls took its first lead of the game at 19-17 at the 9:46 mark when White grabbed a rebound and went the length of the court for a layup. The Colonels then took a four-point lead at 24-20 when Shay Arnick found Nash in the corner for a 3-pointer. 

However, Lamar caught fire in the final seven minutes of the half, outscoring Nicholls 22-6 the rest of the way. Easy buckets inside for the Lady Cardinals combined with five 3-pointers gave Lamar the momentum heading into the locker room.

Down 13 early in the second half, Nicholls made a mini-run to bring the score to 52-45. KK Babin drained a 3-pointer, Arnick scored on a putback and Marina Lilly added a pair of free throws. But a 3-pointer by Gia Ayers, who had 15 points and was one of five Lady Cardinals to score in double figures, put the lead back at 10.

A second-chance bucket by Morrison just under nine minutes brought the deficit to single digits before Lamar went on to put the game away.  LU saw its lead swell to much as 18 before the final buzzer.

Nicholls was held to 38 percent shooting and was outrebounded 38-37. Both teams had trouble taking care of the ball as they combined for 42 turnovers, led by Nicholls' 22.

The Colonels made 10 3-pointers on the night, headed by Morrison's 4-of-7 outing. White, who had six assists, made three from long range and Nash added two.

JaMeisha Edwards paced LU for the second straight game, finishing with 21 points. Edwards had five 3-pointers, including two to close out the first half.

Nicholls will wrap up its Texas two-step with a Saturday afternoon game at Sam Houston State. Tipoff in Huntsville is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the airwaves on 91.5 FM KNSU.