KATY, Texas - The Nicholls Colonels will be making their sixth consecutive Southland Conference Tournament appearance as they take on McNeese for the second time in the postseason.
 
GAMEDAY INFO
No. 7 Nicholls (10-19, 7-11 SLC) vs. No. 6 McNeese (13-16, 8-10 SLC)
Thursday, March 9 @ 1:30 P.M.
Leonard E. Merrell Center – Katy, Texas
VIDEO (ESPN3)   l   LIVE STATS   l   TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
 
TOURNAMENT STORYLINES
Nicholls fell to the Cowgirls in the teams' only meeting this season in a 59-52 decision on Feb. 18 in Lake Charles. The game was back-and-fourth throughout before the Colonels ran out of gas in the final quarter, making just 5-of-18 from the field. Taylor Morrison led Nicholls with 17 points and Cassidy Barrios finished with a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. RECAP
 
Nicholls has a 2-8 record all-time in the Southland Conference Tournament, capturing wins in 2012 and 2014. The Colonels won as a 5-seed in 2014, defeating former member Oral Roberts, 77-66. In 2012, Nicholls took down No. 1 Central Arkansas, 79-59, behind a career-high 32 points from LiAnn McCarthy.
 
Nicholls set a tournament record in its win over Central Arkansas with 14 made 3-pointers. The Colonels went on to match the mark in their win against ORU. The 14 made 3-pointers in also the program record, which Nicholls has reached three times – twice in the tournament and last season against Northwestern State.
 
The Colonels played McNeese in the 2013 tournament and were defeated, 86-70. Nicholls received a bye in the first round as the 4-seed, but the Cowgirls shot a blistering 53 percent from the field to end the Colonels' season. Nicholls had swept McNeese in the regular season before the Cowgirls were able to avenge the losses.
 
THE COLONELS
Nicholls finished the season in a three-way tie for eighth place with Northwestern State and UIW. With UIW ineligible until next season, the Colonels earned the 7-seed after a tiebreaker with NSU.
 
Nicholls enters the tournament as the No. 2 team in the NCAA in steals at 13.2 per game. The Colonels have three players – Hope Pawlowski (2.9), Tykeria Williams (2.8) and Cassidy Barrios (2.2) – who rank in the top 7 of the Southland, while Pawlowski in 22nd in the NCAA and Williams is 24th.
 
The Colonels are led by Third-Team All-Southland selection Cassidy Barrios. As a sophomore, led the team in points per game (15.3), rebounds (7.5), assists (2.8) and field goal percentage (.474). She proved to be one of the most versatile players in the Southland, ranking in seven different categories. Barrios finished the regular season ranked eighth in the Southland in scoring and sixth in rebounding.
 
Including Barrios, Nicholls has five players averaging double figures. Pawlowski is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game, followed by Williams (11.1), Taylor Morrison (10.7) and Emani White (10.7).
 
SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
McNeese ended the season by losing three of its last four, including an 83-67 setback to Lamar in the season finale.
 
The Cowgirls are led by Victoria Rachal (11.8 ppg) and Frederica Haywood (8.0 ppg, 10.6 reb), who were both named All-Southland honorable mention.
 
The Cowgirls rank 15th in the NCAA in offensive rebounds with 16 per game, led by Haywood who is averaging 4.0 which is good for ninth in the country.
 
McNeese is led by head coach Kacie Cryer, who is her first season. Cryer was an assistant coach for the Cowgirls for the previous seven seasons.
 
UP NEXT
If the Colonels advance past McNeese, they will take on No. 3 seed Stephen F. Austin on Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Ladyjacks defeated the Colonels in Thibodaux in their only meeting this season, 82-77.