Despite holding a five point lead at halftime and having four players score 10 or more points in the game, the Lady Colonels, who entered the contest ranked third in the Southland Conference Eastern Division, fell to Southeastern University, 82-71, Saturday afternoon in Stopher Gym. Nicholls (3-13, 1-4 SLC) trailed in the first five minutes by nine points but managed to make a 16-6 run to take the lead over Southeastern (11-7, 3-2 SLC) for the first time in the game.
The Lady Colonels controlled the first half of the game by making 17 out of 35 field goals and five out of seven three-point shots. The The team entered the locker room at the half leading by five points.
Southeastern opened the second half with a 12-6 run to take the lead over the Lady Colonels 49-48. The Lady Lions never looked back and kept the lead throughout the rest of the game.
As a team, the Lady Lions shot 48 percent from the field and hit 10 out of 12 from the three-point range. Senior guard Tina Wilson tied a career high as she had a perfect game hitting four out of four field goals, four out four three pointers, and six out of six free throws.
Southeastern coach Lori Davis Jones said she was pleased with the way her team rebounded in the second half.
“The best thing we did was settle down at half time and we executed our offense in the second half,” said Jones.
The Lady Colonels had nine turnovers compared to Southeastern’s 19, but the team failed to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes. The Lady Colonels shot 42 percent from the field and 67 percent beyond the arc.
“We are only a few plays away from winning some of these games and it has been tough for us,” Nicholls coach Mark Cook said.
Senior guard Jamie Octave, who is currently leading the team in scoring, finished the game with sixteen points four rebounds. She is only seventeen points away from becoming the eighth player in Lady Colonels basketball history to reach 1000 points in their basketball career.
Senior guard Claire Barry was the leading scorer for the Lady Colonels. Barry finished with nineteen points and two assists.
Despite strong defensive performances, the Lady Colonels have lost six of their last seven games. Nicholls is currently ranked fifth in their division and last in the Southland Conference in scoring offense averaging 53.9 points per game. The Lady Colonels have allowed opponents to score an average of 75 points per game.
The Lady Colonels go back on the road tonight to face Northwestern State University (6-13, 2-4 SLC). Tip off is set for 6:30 p.m.
