THIBODAUX, La. – After being on the road for its longest stretch of the 2015-16 campaign, the Nicholls State University women's basketball team returns to Stopher Gym to host in-state rival Louisiana Tech at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5.
 
Following the women's game, the men will tipoff against Loyola New Orleans at 3:30 p.m. Nicholls SAAC is partnering with Rouses Markets for a Toy Drive and any fan who brings a toy to donate will be able to purchase a ticket for the women's / men's doubleheader for only $5.
 
The game will be broadcast live on KNSU 91.5 FM, while live stats and a video stream are available on geauxcolonels.com.
 
Nicholls enters Saturday's contest with a 2-4 record on the year, and is 1-1 in home games. The Colonels opened the season with a win over SUNO at Stopher, but were defeated by Prairie View A&M, 81-70. PVAM also picked up a huge win on the road Wednesday night over Louisiana Tech, 77-68, dropping the Lady Techsters to a 3-3 mark.
 
For the year, the Colonels are averaging 61.3 points, but have been held to 51 or less points in three of their last four games. During that stretch, Nicholls has shot over 40 percent from the field only once and is averaging 31.8 turnovers a game. But the Colonels have been a completely different team at home over the past few seasons with an impressive 31-7 record.
 
Junior Hope Pawlowski continues to lead the offense as the only player averaging double figures at 10.7 points per game. She entered the season with only six made 3-pointers for her career, but has already matched that mark as she is shooting a team-high 46.2 percent (6 of 13) from long range. Four other Colonels are averaging over eight points – Karrington Brown (8.7), who scored a career-high 16 at Troy, Sammi Deakin-Sharpe (8.3), Cassidy Barrios (8.3) and LiAnn McCarthy (8.3).
 
Louisiana Tech heads to Thibodaux looking to recover from its 9-point setback against Prairie View. The Lady Techsters are averaging 66.7 points and are outscoring the opposition by 6.5. Along with having a common opponent in PVAM, LA Tech also took on defending Southland Conference regular season champion Stephen F. Austin and came away with a 76-44 victory
 
LA Tech is led by 6-foot-1 forward Brandi Wingate, who heads the team with 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds. Guard Brooke Pumroy is also scoring in double figures at 12.3 points.
 
With the Colonels' win over LA Tech in the 2013-14 campaign, it ended a 15-game winning streak by the Lady Techsters who had never lost to Nicholls. But LA Tech avenged the loss last season with an 80-62 win over the Colonels in December.
 
Following the game Saturday, Nicholls will hit the road to take on ULM on Saturday, Dec. 12.