THIBODAUX, La.  – After opening the season with four of five games on the road, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team returns to Stopher Gym to host South Alabama at 1 p.m. to kick off a Saturday (Dec. 6) women's/men's basketball doubleheader.
 
The game will air live on KNSU 91.5 FM, with live video and live stats available on geauxcolonels.com.
 
Nicholls (2-3) is coming off a 33-point loss at Tulane on Wednesday night which saw the Colonels shoot just 29 percent while recording a season-high 23 turnovers. The Red and Gray have still yet to find their stroke from 3-point range, shooting 24.6 percent. In each of the past three seasons, the Colonels have shot 32 percent or better from behind the arc. Veronica Ryan is the lone Colonel shooting at least 30 percent as she has knocked down 6-of-14 3-pointers.
 
The Colonels did not have a player reach double figures in scoring as they finished with their lowest point total of the season in the loss at Tulane. With leading scorer Emani White missing from the lineup due to an injury, Shay Arnick came off the bench for a team-high nine points.
 
White leads the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game, followed by Jenny Nash at 12.8. Although Nash has been struggling with her 3-point shot at 23 percent, the senior has been a versatile player for head coach DoBee Plaisance, leading the team in rebounding (8.2) while adding 11 steals, 10 assists and five blocks.
 
South Alabama (3-2) comes to Thibodaux with a six-game road losing streak which dates back to last season. The Jags have wins over Mobile, Alabama State and Spring Hill, and have lost to Southern Miss and Indiana State. In their last outing, the Jags put together an impressive 25-0 run in the second half against Spring Hill en route to a 69-42 victory.
 
USA has been led by guard Breanna Hall, who is averaging 18.3 points per contest. Hall has a pair of 20-point efforts so far, including a season-high 24-point outing against Alabama State. In last season's meeting with the Colonels, Hall had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting.
 
As a team, USA is averaging 62 points per game while Nicholls is at 60.4. The 3-point line has been unkind to both teams as South Alabama is at 25.3 percent. In the rebounding department, Nicholls is at a minus-10.2 average while the Jaguars are at minus-9.6.
 
Despite the Colonels' 68-60 win in Mobile last season, USA has a significant advantage in the all-time series with a 15-3 record. Only one of the Colonels' wins has come in Thibodaux as the Jags have won six of seven at Stopher Gym.
 
Nicholls will have next week off for finals before returning to action on Monday, Dec. 15 at Louisiana Tech. Tipoff in Ruston is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.