LAKE CHARLES, La. – The Nicholls State University women's basketball team was beaten 75-57 in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 Southland Conference Tournament on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Colonels go off to a good start and built a six-point lead midway through the first quarter. Lady Lions responded by piecing together an 18-5 run to go up 25-18. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half and Southeastern led 36-30 at the intermission.
 
In the second half, the Colonels offense struggled as they hit nine field goals and shot under 35 percent in each quarter. The Lady Lions ended the third frame with a 9-2 surge and eventually ballooned their lead to as much as 24 in the fourth quarter.
 
Nicholls was led by a pair of double figure scorers. Second-Team All-conference selection, Lexi Alexander, scored 14 points and brought down seven rebounds. Mikayla Etienne hit three triples and finished will 11 points.
 
In her final game as a Colonel, Kyla Hamilton stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Deonna Brister and Daelyn Craig combined for 13 points and four assists, while freshman guard Adyson James added five points and three steals.
 
Nicholls had a major turnaround under first year head coach Justin Payne. He returned to his alma mater and won more games this season (14) than the last two campaigns combined (11). Additionally, the first-round victory over UNO was the first postseason win since 2021.