LAKE CHARLES, La. - Kyla Hamilton led four Colonels in double figures with 18 points and a game-high six assists but it was not enough as the Nicholls State University women's basketball team dropped a 78-76 contest Saturday afternoon inside the Legacy Center.

Nicholls (13-16, 7-10 SLC) led by nine points in the third quarter before McNeese (6-24, 2-15 SLC) rallied in the final period as the teams played to five ties. The Cowgirls led by four in the final minute before Mikayla Etienne hit a three-pointer and Lexi Alexander followed with a go-ahead layup with 13 seconds to go.

McNeese's Boston Berry regained the lead for the Cowgirls on a bucket plus-one, but Deonna Brister was fouled and sank both free throws to tie the game at 76. With the clock winding down, Azjah Reeves was fouled on a runner with 0.4 seconds left and made both for a Cowgirl lead. Nicholls called a timeout to advance the ball and Etienne was able to get off a three before the buzzer but it rimmed out. 

Brister finished with 14 points and was 10 of 10 at the free throw line. As a team, Nicholls missed just once at the charity stripe in 23 attempts. Britiya Curtis added 16 points while Etienne finished with 13, helped by 3 of 5 from three-point range.

The Colonels found themselves down 18-13 through the opening quarter but outscored McNeese in the second period, 27-17. The Colonels made 15 trips to the free throw line and went into the break with a 40-35 edge after Hamilton picked up a steal in the backcourt and made a layup in the final seconds.

In the third quarter, Hamilton scored back-to-back buckets before Curtis sank a jumper to put Nicholls up 46-37 with 7:29 remaining. McNeese came within two points in the quarter but Nicholls never surrendered the lead.

The Cowgirls tied the game up three times in the fourth before Mireia Yespes scored inside for a 65-63 advantage -- their first lead since early in the second quarter. The lead didn't change hands again until the Alexander layup that made it 74-73. But the Cowgirls would escape with their fifth win in the last six meetings against the Colonels.

Yespes led all scorers with 18 points while Berry added 16. Clara Rosini posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to help the Cowgirls to a 41-32 advantage on the boards.

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Nicholls will conclude the regular season on Thursday, March 7 at Southeastern before heading back to Lake Charles for the Southland Conference Tournament.