THIBODAUX, La. - In a game that had six lead changes and three ties in the first half, South Alabama used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to take the lead for good as the Nicholls State University women's basketball team dropped its fifth straight game with a 73-63 loss Saturday afternoon in Stopher Gymnasium.
Chelsea Cain and
Bryanna Washington posted double-doubles for the Colonels, which slipped to 2-7 on the season. Cain scored 21 on 8 of 16 shooting and had 10 rebounds, while Washington also grabbed 10 boards and finished with 12 points. Four Colonels scored in double figures with
Deonna Brister adding 11 points and
Chyna Allen scored 10.
Despite not scoring for the first five minutes of the game, Nicholls climbed back from the early deficit to trail 15-14 after the first quarter. Cain had six straight points to bring the Colonels back and Brister scored off an
Amelia Sandie assist to close out the quarter.
Nicholls went ahead in the second and saw its biggest advantage at 26-23 on a
Kyrstin Green bucket with 4:35 until halftime. But it would be the final points before the break for the Red and Gray as USA (4-5) went into the locker room with a 29-26 lead.
In the third quarter, South Alabama made an early bucket before Brister canned a 3-pointer to end the scoring drought. Leading 33-30, USA scored the next 10 points to extend the lead to 43-30. Nadia Howard started the run with a 3-ball and would finish a game-high 23 points.
Although Nicholls fell behind by double figures, they made another comeback in the third and cut the deficit to 46-45 on a jumper by Cain. But once again, USA answered with a 3-pointer by Jordan Rosier.
South Alabama began to pull away in the fourth and led by as much as 17 before the Colonels scored the game's final seven points.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will hit the road for its next two games, starting Tuesday (Dec. 14) with a trip to Chicago to take on DePaul. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
