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THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University women's basketball team will take on Abilene Christian for a Southland Conference matchup on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 1 p.m. in Stopher Gym.
 
After a loss on the road at Houston Baptist Thursday night, Nicholls (3-9, 1-1 SLC) returns home where it defeated Lamar, 69-59, in the Southland opener. Although the Colonels have just won two of six contests at Stopher this season, they've been tough to beat home in conference play over the past few seasons. Including the win over Lamar, Nicholls has posted a 24-5 record in conference games in Thibodaux since 2013.
 
Tia Charles leads the Colonels in scoring at 10.3 points per game after her 14-point effort at HBU. Charles missed the first six games due to an injury, but has worked her way back into regular minutes and has scored in double figures the last three contests. LiAnn McCarthy (9.5 ppg) and Marina Lilly (8.3 ppg) have also scored in double digits in the last three games, with Lilly recording doubles-doubles in each game.
 
The Colonels have tallied 14 or more assists in three contests this season, all resulting in wins. Nicholls had 19 in the victory over SUNO, 14 against Mississippi Valley State and 18 against Lamar. The Colonels had 12 at Houston Baptist and during their five-game losing streak, averaged just 7.8.
 
Abilene Christian (11-2, 2-0 SLC) brings an impressive RPI of 12 and have won their two conference games by an average of 17.5 points. The Wildcats played Northwestern State on Thursday night and came away with a 67-46 win over the two-time defending Southland Tournament champions.
 
The Wildcats are averaging 75.4 points and are outscoring their opposition by 17.9 points per game. ACU is led by Alexis Mason and Sydney Shelstead, who are both averaging over 14 points per game. Abilene has connected on 101 3-pointers, headed by Mason (36) and Whitney West (32 / 11.8 ppg).
 
The teams have only squared of twice before, with both winning on the road. ACU took the first matchup in 2014, 78-62, while the Colonels won in Texas last season, 64-39.
 
Following Sunday's game, Nicholls will hit the road for its next two contests. The Colonels will play Sam Houston State on Wednesday before heading south to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a Saturday evening matchup.