Final Stats Comments from coach DoBee Plaisance
Comments from Emani White

THIBODAUX, La.  – After one of its worst halves of the season, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team held first-place Central Arkansas to 19 points on 30 percent shooting in the final twenty minutes while Emani White and KK Babin ignited the Colonel offense as Nicholls erased a 15-point halftime deficit to knock off UCA, 69-60, Saturday at Stopher Gym.

The win for Nicholls improved its record to 11-9 overall and 6-3 in the Southland, pulling the Colonels within one game of Central Arkansas (13-7, 7-2). The Colonels also claimed their fourth consecutive victory and defeated the Sugar Bears in Thibodaux for the first time since 2009.

After combining for only two points in the first half, White and Babin exploded in the second period as they accounted for 33 of Nicholls' 43 points. White led the Colonels with a game-high 23 points and was 10 of 10 at the free throw line, and Babin had 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds and five assists.

Jasmine Scott finished in double figures as well, scoring eight of her 12 points in the opening stanza to keep Nicholls in the game. UCA came out on fire, knocking down 6 of 7 3-pointers to start the contest. The score was fairly close in the first 10 minutes as UCA led 23-18, but a 12-0 run by the Sugar Bears over a four-minute span put the Colonels down 17.

JonMarie Guillory came up with a pair of buckets to bring Nicholls within 11, but UCA closed out the period with six of the game's eight points to lead 41-26.

While Nicholls shot fairly well in the first half at 41 percent, the team was held without a 3-pointer at 0-for-6. Along with Scott, Marina Lilly and Guillory provided offense inside, scoring eight and six points, respectively. UCA shot 57 percent including 6 of 10 from behind the arc.

Following the intermission, Nicholls brought the score to 42-34 at the 16:11 mark after White cut inside for a layup. But the deficit remained at eight points four minutes later before the Colonels put together a ferocious 14-0 run.

Down 49-41, White started the spurt with a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer, and Scott knocked down a jumper in the paint to bring Nicholls within one.  After a missed 3 by UCA, Babin collected the rebound, dribbled up court and drained a 3-pointer to give Nicholls a 51-49 lead with 8:49 to go.

White made another basket inside and Scott capped the run with another field goal, giving Nicholls a 55-49 advantage with 6:28 remaining.

The Sugar Bears ended the run with a free throw, but could never bring the score closer than four points the rest of the way. Leading by four, Taylor Morrison came up with a clutch runner at the top of the key before Courtney Duever, who led UCA with 13 points, brought it back to four with two minutes remaining. 

Jenny Nash scored her only points on a layup with 60 seconds left, and then recorded her second block of the day. White and Babin combined for six free throws the rest of the way, giving Nicholls a critical win in conference.

Nicholls made 50 percent from the field in the second half, finishing at 45.5 percent for the game. After coming up empty behind the arc before the break, the Colonels made 3 of 5. At the free throw line, the team finished at 89 percent, making 16 of 18.

The Colonels finished with a season-low seven turnovers, while UCA had 16. The Sugar Bears finished at 46 percent shooting, and made only 1 of 10 3-pointers after their hot start.

Nicholls will hit the road for its next four games, starting Thursday, Feb. 9 at Stephen F. Austin. Game time in Nacogdoches, Texas is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.