THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University women's basketball team will play in Stopher Gymnasium for the final times this week, starting with a Wednesday night matchup against HBU. Tipoff on Broussard Court is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Nicholls (10-16, 7-10 SLC) has won four consecutive games and is now tied with last Saturday's opponent, Central Arkansas, for the eighth and final spot in the Southland Conference Tournament. With the final weekend off, Nicholls has just three games remaining to solidify its ninth consecutive appearance in Katy, Texas. 

The Colonels continued their winning formula in the win against UCA, outshooting the opposition from the field and creating a significant advantage at the free throw line. Against the Sugar Bears, Nicholls shot four percent better from the field and made 12 more free throws (26) than UCA attempted (14). Over the last three games, the Colonels are averaging 23.7 made free throws while their opponents are making just 10.3 per game. 

On offense, head coach DoBee Plaisance has relied on four players for the bulk of the scoring - Chrystal Ezechukwu (13.3 ppg), Airi Hamilton (12.0), Loan-Anh Johnson (11.0) and Tykeria Williams (10.3). On Saturday, Johnson had a career-high 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting, marking the fourth time in the last five games she has scored at least 13 points. 

HBU (6-19, 2-14 SLC) will be playing the spoiler role as it tries to climb out of last place in the Southland standings. The Huskies earned a win over Lamar on Feb. 15 but have since lost their last two. The last outing was a 75-60 loss at Sam Houston State on Saturday.

The Colonels and Huskies met in January in Houston, with Nicholls coming away with an 84-78 victory. The teams traded dominant quarters as HBU led 25-11 after the first, but Nicholls outscored the Huskies in the second, 26-12. The Colonels led by as much as 17 in the fourth quarter before fending off an impressive comeback attempt. 

Nicholls has won the last six meetings against HBU. The last Husky win in Thibodaux was a 66-61 victory in 2014. 

UP NEXT
Nicholls will play its final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 29 as the Colonels host New Orleans for Senior Day. Tipoff on Broussard Court is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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