NEW ORLEANS - Chelsea Cain scored on a putback with six seconds remaining to lift the Nicholls State University women's basketball team to a thrilling 69-68 victory at New Orleans Saturday afternoon in the teams' Southland Conference opener.
Cain's bucket ended her impressive run of 14 consecutive points for the Colonels, but it briefly looked like it may have not been enough for the win. New Orleans (1-7, 0-1 SLC) answered with a layup at the buzzer but after review, the basket was waved off as Nicholls (3-9, 1-0 SLC) snapped its seven-game losing streak in their first action in nearly a month.
Cain matched her career-high with 29 points with nearly half coming in the final five minutes of the contest. After New Orleans grabbed a 59-53 advantage with six minutes left in the game on a Dearica Pryor 3-pointer, Cain caught fire down the stretch. She connected on five field goals and was perfect at the line, making all four attempts. After making two freebies that tied it at 65, she picked up a steal and put Nicholls ahead with two more with a minute remaining.
UNO answered with a free throw and after a turnover, Nahja Scott drove to the hoop for a go-ahead layup at 68-67 with 13 seconds to go. Coming out of a timeout,
Chyna Allen's layup was off but Cain put it right back up for the game winner.
Allen also scored in double figures in the win, scoring 12 of her 16 points in the first half.
Kyrstin Green added nine points off the bench while six points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Cain had eight rebounds and was one of three players with three steals along with Allen and
Amelia Sandie.
Nicholls led 39-32 at the half and were up by as much as 12. But New Orleans took control in the third by outscoring the Colonels in the period, 20-10.
Pryor paced UNO with 22 points and Kyla Davis added 13.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will open up its home portion of its conference schedule against Northwestern State on Thursday, Jan. 20. Tipoff in Stopher Gym is scheduled for 5 p.m.
