Despite a season with injuries and surgeries for key players, the Nicholls State University women’s basketball team won their ticket to the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas.

With a record of 8-10 in conference, the Colonels left campus Tuesday for Katy, where they will take on Sam Houston State University.

The Colonels’ first encountered Sam Houston this past January in Huntsville, Texas. The Colonels won the game 67-63.
The team tied the game against Sam Houston at 37 at the half until they opened the third quarter with 3-pointer from guard Taylor Morrison and guard Cassidy Barrios. From then on out the Colonels led the entire quarter before Sam Houston 51-49.

With two 3-pointers, the Colonels with 8 minutes gained the lead again before forward LiAnn McCarthy scored a pair at the free throw line, giving the Colonels a 3-point lead (63-60).

Both teams shot 42 percent for the game with Sam Houston holding a lead of 17-14 after the first. However, forward LiAnn McCarthy shot a scorching 6 of 7 from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
In their last three games of the season the Colonels lost two out of the three games, with the win against Southeastern Louisiana University being the ticket to Katy.

The Colonels lost against McNeese State University on Feb. 27, 62-96. After the Cowgirls got a 15-point lead, the Colonels could not catch up. The Colonels’ top scorers McCarthy and guard Tia Charles were sent to the bench after early fouls with only six points for McCarthy and seven for Charles.

Ending the first quarter 23-10, the Colonels were left with a 13-point disadvantage against the Cowgirls that would extend to 45-27 at break.
Guard Karrington Brown scored 13 points off the bench early on.

In the second half the Colonels were still not able to change the momentum of the game or slow down the McNeese defense. The Cowgirls finished 50 shooting percent from the field for the game, hit 11 3-pointers and scored 22 or more points per quarter.

In a tight encounter with University of Central Arkansas March 2, the Colonels lost 54-51. The Colonels took on the league’s toughest defense.

The Colonels took a defeat of 20-12 in the first quarter before redeeming themselves with 22 points in the second quarter, bringing the score to a 44-43.
In the third quarter both teams produced 13 points before defense locked down and prevented either team from scoring in the remaining minutes.
The fourth quarter ended with UCA accomplishing a final layup as the buzzer went off. The Colonels shot 35.5 percent from the field.
The team took on the Southeastern Louisiana University Lions for Senior Day.

McCarthy set the tone in the direction of the Colonels by scoring a 2-pointer in the first 13 seconds. Charles followed shortly with a 3-point shot. The Lions remained scoreless for approximately the first two minutes of the game, giving the Colonels a five-point lead that would extend to the final score of the first quarter (20-15).

“My main focus was to enjoy the game and get my team through it,” McCarthy said.

In the second quarter, the Lions managed to score more points against the Colonels, but it was not enough to put them in a lead. The second quarter ended in 16-18, but the Colonels still remained in the lead (36-33).After a season of third-quarter misfortune, the Colonels took on a 7-point lead against the Lions, their 18-piont win 70-52.

Charles had the team high score of 14 with Barrios and Morrison both scoring 11-points. Charles and Barrios also led in 3-point shots with three and senior McCarthy followed close behind with 2. The team scored a total of 11 3-pointers.

For the majority of the game the Colonels remained in the lead, surrendering it with only twice and tying once. The Lions only kept their lead of one against the Colonels for a total of 32 seconds the entire game, compared to the Colonels’ 38:56 and leaving the remaining 32 seconds to a tie.

“It’s a great feeling and it gives us confidence going into the tournament,” Charles said.