HAMMOND, La. – Despite surrendering a 13-point advantage over the course of the second half, the Nicholls State University women's basketball program managed to secure their first Southland victory of the season in dramatic fashion, edging past rival Southeastern Louisiana 67-65 behind a stunning
Airi Hamilton bank shot as time expired. With the shot clock off and the game knotted at 65 apiece, fellow senior
Chrystal Ezechukwu nearly claimed hero status herself, watching the ball circle the rim and slip out to a waiting Hamilton on the opposite side of the glass.
The Colonels (4-11, 1-5 SLC) put together a near-complete performance on both ends of the court, unquestionably leading from 2:34 left in the first quarter through the 7:13 mark early in the fourth period. However, unlike many of the Red & Gray's other close losses this year, Nicholls returned fire with ferocity, reclaiming their advantage off back-to-back buckets -- including an Ezechukwu and-one -- and only trailing once more (4:01 remaining) before Hamilton's buzzer beater.
Notably, Ezechukwu posted a stellar showing in spite of a slow start during the first half, finishing the day with 23 points on 9-of-19 from the field across 34 minutes of action (all career highs). The Georgia native also paced the squad on the glass, nearly notching a double-double behind nine boards, while adding two blocks and a pair of steals.
The Colonels were tough to stop from the floor, registering a season-high (amongst DI opponents) 53.7 overall shooting percentage (29-of-54) along with a 12.5 percent (1-of-8) showing from beyond the arc and 50.0 percent (8-of-16) performance at the free-throw line.
The game wrapped up with five lead changes and five ties, and the Red & Gray secured their first half lead off a 17-3 run that spanned the end of the opening period and first few minutes of the second.
Nicholls pushed their advantage by as much as eight in the fourth quarter before back-to-back-to-back three-pointers by the Lady Lions granted the home squad their first lead since the first quarter. A back-and-forth sequence over the final seven minutes saw three lead changes and four ties.
Both
Loan-Anh Johnson (21) and
Tykeria Williams (14) joined Ezechukwu in double-digits, pacing the Red & Gray in the first half while the latter struggled with just eight points. For Johnson, the athletic sophomore has moved past the 20-point mark in each of the last two matchups, setting a career-high earlier this week behind a 22-point showing against Lamar.
As for SLU (5-10, 2-4 SLC), the Lady Lions have now lost three of their last four games, including two (vs. Sam Houston State, vs. Nicholls) at home.
UP NEXT
The Colonels keep their focus on the road as they advance to in-state foe Northwestern State, heading north to Natchitoches, La. for a contest with the Lady Demons on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Colonels Women's Basketball, follow the team on Twitter (
@Nicholls_WBB) and Instagram (
@Nicholls_WBB)
