LAFAYETTE, La. – The Nicholls State women's basketball team fell 69-63 to the University of Louisiana inside the Cajundome on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Colonels go out to a quick start in the first quarter as junior forward Deonna Brister led the offense with eight points including two shots from long range. The Red & Gray held a 17-12 lead after the first 10 minutes.
 
During the second quarter, the Colonels played stout defense and held the Ragin' Cajuns scoreless for more than five minutes. However, there was a lid on both baskets and the teams combined for to shoot 6-24 from the field in the stanza. Nicholls led 25-23 at the intermission.
 
The Colonels began the second half on a 8-0 run led by senior guard Kyla Hamilton. Hamilton started with an assist on a layup by sophomore forward Lexi Alexander. Later, Hamilton hit a pull-up jumper on the fast break and hit a shot from deep to give the Red & Gray a nine-point lead. (32-23).
 
The teams continued to trade punches and the Colonels led 42-36 going into the final quarter.
 
Nicholls began the fourth quarter with a 7-0 start to build momentum and led by as much as 13 after an Alexander jumper with (49-36). The Ragin' Cajuns responded by closing the frame on a 20-6 run to take a one-point lead.
 
Freshman guard Betzalys Delgado split a pair of free throws with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime (56-56).
 
In the extra period, both teams hit two field goals, but Louisiana hit nine out of ten shots from the charity stripe to win the overtime 13-7.
 
Alexander registered her 10th career double-double finishing the contest with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Brister hit four of her six shots and finished with 10 points.
 
In the first start of her collegiate career freshman guard Britiya Curtis played all 40 minutes and posted a team-high 13 points and six rebounds. Delgado stuffed the stat sheet with five points, six assists and a career-high nine boards.
 
Hamilton scored all her 12 points in the second half and overtime while senior Ashley Malone added eight points off the bench.
 
UP NEXT
The Red & Gray will travel to Phoenix, Arizona to compete in the GCU Classic hosted by Grand Canyon University. They will face Eastern Illinois on Friday, Nov. 24 and GCU on Saturday, Nov. 25.