NASHVILLE, Tenn. -  The Nicholls State University women's basketball team received a career-high 17 points from Veronica Ryan including two crucial 3-pointers in overtime as the Colonels earned a split at the Teresa Phillips Thanksgiving Classic with a 69-64 victory against Norfolk State on Sunday afternoon at Tennessee State's Gentry Center.
 
With the win, Nicholls evens its record to 2-2 while Norfolk State drops to 1-5. It was the first meeting between the two programs.
 
Ryan had a phenomenal game off the bench, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from behind the arc. On the Colonels' second possession of overtime, Ryan sank a 3-pointer from the baseline and the Colonels never relinquished the lead in the extra period, going up by as much as eight points. With Nicholls leading 64-61 with 28 seconds remaining, the junior transfer from Clearwater, Fla. put the game away with a dagger from behind the arc.
 
Ryan led three Colonels in double figures, joined by Marina Lilly with 14 points and Jenny Nash had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
 
Nicholls shot 37 percent from the field, but struggled from behind the arc, making 5-of-27. The Colonels outrebounded the Spartans, 48-44, and Nicholls was able to generate 15 second-chance points versus only four for Norfolk. Lilly played a significant role in the Colonels' offensive rebounding success as she grabbed four offensive rebounds in the second half.
 
Both teams struggled to score in the first half, but Nicholls led for most of the period. After jumping out to an 11-4 lead, the Colonels fell behind 17-16 with less than seven minutes until the break. Nicholls regained the advantage after a pair of Nash free throws made the score 20-19, and the Colonels headed into the locker room with a 25-23 lead.
 
In the second half, Emani White made a 3-pointer to make the score 28-25, but NSU pieced together a 14-4 run over the next six minutes to lead 39-32. The Colonels answered with their own run, started by a jumper from Ryan. Lilly added a putback to make it a three-point game and after a free throw by Ekiya Gray, Lilly came through with a basket-and-one to give Nicholls a 40-39 advantage with 10:45 to go.
 
Norfolk answered once again and kept the lead until White knotted the game at 54 with a free throw with 2:47 left in regulation. Lilly then grabbed an offensive board and scored inside to give Nicholls the lead with less than two minutes remaining. A minute later, Rae Corbo, who had 21 points for Norfolk, evened the game with a jumper.
 
After Nash misfired on a 3-pointer, Norfolk had two good looks in the final seconds, but Nash swatted away the second attempt to send the game into overtime.
 
For the extra period, Nicholls went up 61-58 after a steal and layup by Gray just inside of three minutes and NSU never came closer than three points the rest of the way.
 
Nicholls will return to the court on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at Tulane. Tipoff at Devlin Fieldhouse is scheduled for 7 p.m.

TLP Thanksgiving Classic All-Tounament Team
Heidi Schlegel, Youngstown State (MVP)
Chelsea Hudson, Tennessee State
Jenny Nash, Nicholls 
Kayla Roberts, Norfolk State
Rae Corbo, Norfolk State