THIBODAUX, La. – Looking to secure its first road win of the young season, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team will take on ULM Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.
 
Nicholls (2-5) enters the matchup with an 0-2 record in true road games after losses to New Mexico and Troy. The Colonels will also be aiming to snap and two-game losing skid after falling late to Louisiana Tech last weekend. ULM (4-3) is looking to end a two-game drought as well after its setback at TCU on Saturday.
 
ULM has dominated the all-time series with an impressive 40-7 record against Nicholls; however, the Colonels defeated their former Southland Conference foe in the last matchup in 2012, 85-60. LiAnn McCarthy had a solid outing in the victory, scoring 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting.
 
After missing two-plus seasons due to injuries, McCarthy made her first start of 2015 in Saturday's 58-55 loss to LA Tech. She enters the matchup with ULM as one of four Colonels average eight or more points, ranking third on the team at 8.6. Also coming back from injury, sophomore Tia Charles scored 20 points in her debut against the Lady Techsters after making a career-high five 3-pointers.
 
Hope Pawlowski, who started the first six games before coming off the bench against LA Tech, is averaging 10.9 points, but her biggest impact has come on the defensive end. As a team, the Colonels rank fifth in the NCAA with 13.3 steals, and Pawlowski is seventh in the nation with 3.7 per game.
 
Rounding out the scoring leaders is freshman Cassidy Barrios, who is averaging 8.0 points in seven starts. Barrios is one of five players with at least five made 3-pointers on the year, with McCarthy leading the way with nine.
 
ULM is coming off an 80-42 loss to TCU, and like Nicholls, did not have a game this week for final exams. The Warhawks struggled in the loss, finishing with 26 turnovers and shot just 34 percent from the field.
 
ULM posts a 3-1 record at home this season with wins over three non-division I opponents, and its lone setback was against conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette. One of ULM's wins came against Southland member Southeastern Louisiana in an 88-84 shootout.
 
The Warhawks are led offensively by Alayshia Hunter, who is pouring in 17.9 ppg on the season. Chelsea Tieuel is second in scoring at 11.9, and has been lethal from behind the arc as she has knocked down 17 3-pointers at a 44.7 percent clip.

Follwing Saturday night's matchup, the Colonels will return home for a Friday, Dec. 18 matchup against Jacksonville State.