THIBODAUX, La. – After opening Southland Conference play with a loss, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team returns to Stopher Gym for their conference home debut as the Colonels will take on Houston Baptist Thursday night at 6 p.m.
Nicholls (4-8, 0-1 SLC) hopes to right the ship against the Huskies (6-7, 0-2 SLC), with both teams eager for their first conference victory. The squads split the season series last year in their first ever meetings, with each team winning on the road. HBU won in Thibodaux, 66-61, in the first matchup while Nicholls came away with a 73-69 win in Houston.
The Colonels have just one win in their last six games and the main culprit has been turnovers. During the stretch, Nicholls has been charged with an average of 24 turnovers per game, compared to averaging just 14 in the first three games of the season. The team gave up the ball a season-high 27 times in its final non-conference game before surpassing the total at Lamar with 28.
While the offense has been hampered by turnovers, averaging just 58.5 points per game, the defense has been consistent. Against Lamar, Nicholls held LU to 30 percent shooting from the field, marking the fourth time in the last six contests that the opposition shot under 40 percent.
Leading the Colonels in scoring has been senior guard
Jenny Nash, who continues to fill the stat sheet. Along with averaging 13.5 points, Nash leads the team in rebounding (7.2 rpg), assists (32), blocks (13) and is second with 23 steals. The Houston native has also heated up from behind the 3-point line over the last five games, knocking down 17 at a sparkling 45.9 percent clip.
HBU is led by its first-team All-Southland post player, Shanice Steenholdt, who enters the leading the conference in points (18.6) and rebounds (11.0) per game. The Colonels had a hard time containing Steenholdt last season as she averaged 18.5 points on 63 percent shooting from the field in the two games.
The Huskies bring a three-game losing streak to Thibodaux, which include a pair of tough losses in conference play. HBU opened Southland play at home against Northwestern State and on the road at McNeese State, and in both contests, the Huskies were unable to hold on to their second-half leads.
As a team, HBU ranks second in the Southland in scoring offense, outscoring Nicholls by nearly 15 points per game (73.3 ppg/58.5). The Huskies are first in the Southland in field goal percentage (.478), rebounding margin (plus-10.2) and blocked shots (5.2).
Following Thursday's game, Nicholls will head to Texas to take on Abilene Christian on Sunday, Jan. 11. Tipoff at ACU is scheduled for 2 p.m.
