With Southland Conference play winding down, the men and women’s basketball teams will try to end the season on a high note.While the women’s team will not make the SLC Tournament, the men’s team is still fighting for one of the eight spots.

As of press time, the men’s team finds itself a game behind a tied Northwestern State and Lamar for a spot in the conference tournament. Sam Houston State currently leads the conference with an 11-1 conference record.

Even though the record may not show it, the women’s basketball team has been improving in many statistical categories compared to last season.

Heading into their last four conference games, the Colonels are averaging almost five points more than last season. The Colonels are seventh in the conference in scoring defense, giving up only 68 points per game compared to the 80 points they gave up last season.

The team’s three-point percentage is almost 100 points higher than last season, and they are averaging almost five three-point field goals per game. Last season the Colonels averaged just more than one per game.

Junior guard Ricshanda Bickham and freshman forward Alisha Allen have made it into the top 10 in scoring in the SLC.

Bickham is second in the conference in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game, and Allen ranks eighth in conference with 14.2 points per game.

Allen ranks 18th in rebounding with 6.2 rebounds per game and is ninth in field goal percentages.

Bickham leads the conference in minutes played with 38.6 and is fourth in steals with 3.5 per game. She is also eighth in the conference in three-point shots made per game with 1.7.

The women will play their final home game Wednesday against the University of Texas at Arlington, with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the men’s team will close out the regular season inside Stopher Gym on March 6 at 2 p.m. against Lamar.