THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University women's basketball team will begin its quest for the program's first conference championship as the Colonels open their Southland Conference schedule Saturday (Jan. 3) at Lamar at the Montagne Center, with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m.
The contest can be listened to live on KNSU 91.5 FM, with pregame coverage scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m.
Nicholls (4-7) and Lamar (3-8) both enter conference play with losing records and each are coming off blowout losses in their last outings. The Colonels ended their non-conference schedule against Southern Miss on Dec. 29, losing 89-57, and Lamar dropped a 97-63 decision to Rice last Sunday.
To both team's credit, their non-conference schedules were filled with opponents from strong conferences. The teams had one common opponent, UTSA, with Nicholls defeating the Roadrunners, 57-49, at Texas Tech. Lamar hosted UTSA on Nov. 23 and was handed a 72-40 loss.
The Colonels are still searching for their first road win, posting an 0-4 record so far this season. Last season, Nicholls finished 4-5 on the road in conference play, which included a road-opening 82-68 loss at Lamar. The Colonels have not had much success in Beaumont, losing 15 of 17 games as LU leads the all-time series 20-14.
Nicholls enters conference play averaging 58.2 points, which ranks eighth out of 13 teams in the Southland, and has allowed 69.1 points (9th). While the Colonels' rebounding woes have continued from past seasons, ranking last in the league in margin at minus-8.7, the team has uncharacteristically struggled shooting from the field with a league-worst 34.9 percent.
With leading-scorer
Emani White (15.3 ppg) still on the bench due to an injury, the Colonels have been led in scoring by senior
Jenny Nash at 13.4 ppg. Along with ranking in 11th in the Southland in scoring, Nash is second in 3-pointers made per game (2.4), eighth in blocks (1.1), 10th in rebounding (7.1) and 11th in steals (1.8). The Colonels played in two non-conference tournaments this season, with Nash being named all-tournament for both.
Lamar is fourth in the league in scoring (68.7 ppg) and surrenders 70.4 points (12th). The Lady Cardinals have made over 40 percent of their shots from the field, led by Kiandra Bowers at 55.6 percent. Bowers is one of four LU players averaging more than nine points per game (9.2), joined by Dominique Edwards (13.4), Baileigh O'Dell (11.4) and JaMeisha Edwards (9.6). After missing the first six games, JaMeisha Edwards reached double figures in scoring for the first time this season, finishing with a team-high 19 points in LU's last outing.
Following the conference opener, Nicholls will host Houston Baptist on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. For tickets, visit geauxcolonels.com or call the ticket office at 985-448-4790.
