The men’s and women’s basketball teams traveled to McNeese State Saturday, but neither team was able to pull out a win on the road.With the loss, the men’s team now finds itself in a four-way tie for eighth place in the Southland Conference.

Nicholls, along with Lamar, Northwestern State and McNeese, will try to clinch the last spot in the tournament this week.

The Colonels’ final conference game is at home against Lamar.

Lamar is still fighting for the final bid in the SLC, making the game crucial for either team to make one of the final slots.

The Colonels need to win to keep their postseason hopes alive. Even if the Colonels win the game against Lamar, a spot in the conference is not guaranteed.

It could come to tiebreakers for the teams to get spots in the SLC.

In a tiebreak situation, the conference officials look at the teams trying to qualify and break down the games in different ways to select the most qualified team.

The men’s team will have one more opportunity to record a win to help with conference placement Saturday at 2 p.m. when it takes on Lamar in Stopher Gym.

The women’s team will not make the tournament this year; however, the team finished 4-22 overall, improving from last season’s record of 2-25.

Despite the 71-52 loss Saturday against McNeese, junior guard Ricshanda Bickham broke the Nicholls single-season steals record.

Entering Saturday’s contest, Bickham needed only one steal to tie former Colonel Katherine Plummer’s record of 86 steals in the 2006-07 season.

Bickham, who had two steals in the game, put herself in the record books with the most steals in a single season with 87.

With one game left in the season she could possibly add to her 87 steals and distance herself from Plummer.

The women’s team will play its last game of the season Saturday at 2:05 p.m. when it takes on Lamar in Beaumont, Texas.