HOUSTON – Shanice Steenholdt, Rachel Arthur, and Tayler Jefferson combined for 54 points, and 13-of-14 from the charity stripe, but the HBU women's basketball team shot just 34 percent from the floor in a 73-69 loss to Nicholls Thursday evening at Sharp Gym.

Steenholdt recorded her 14th double-double for HBU (11-17 overall, 7-10 SLC), who lost its fourth-straight game. She shot 9-of-17 from the floor, 4-for-5 from the free throw line, and had three blocks, one assist, and one steal. Arthur went 6-of-16 from the floor and a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe to drop 17 points, as she had three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Jefferson scored 15 points on four made field goals – three of which came from beyond the arc – and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. She had a team-best four assists, four rebounds, and one steal.

KK Babin recorded a double-double for Nicholls (16-12 overall, 11-6 SLC), with 12 points and 10 assists. She also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Emani White scored a team-best 14 points, while Jenny Nash chipped in with 13.

HBU started the game on fire, beginning with a block by Steenholdt 14 seconds into the contest. The Huskies outscored the Colonels, 12-7, in the first six minutes of play, only missing four shots in the process.

After an and-one play by JonMarie Guillory cut the deficit to 12-8, HBU's offense went cold, as Nicholls used a 21-4 run in the next ten minutes to lead the Huskies, 29-16, with 3:25 to go in the first half.

HBU battled back and brought the deficit to within six, 33-27, with just under a minute remaining following a jumper by Arthur, but Babin went up the floor and gave the Colonels an eight-point advantage. Ekemini Essien made one of two free throws with 19 seconds remaining to make the score, 35-28, in favor of Nicholls, entering halftime.

Steenholdt led HBU with eight first-half points, while Nash had nine points, as she went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. HBU shot just 31 percent from the floor, compared to Nicholls' 50 percent.

Nicholls led by as many as 13 early on before HBU brought the deficit down to eight following a jumper by Heidi Sihvola at the 14:33-mark. White scored four-straight points to give the Colonels their largest lead of the game, 55-41, with 13:06 remaining in regulation.

Leading by 14, 61-47, with 11:04 remaining, following a layup by White, HBU used a 19-6 run to take its first lead since midway through the first half, as Steenholdt nailed a jumper to give the Huskies a 68-67 advantage with 1:53 remaining. Prior to that, Jefferson hit a monstrous three-pointer at the top of the key to turn a four-point deficit to one.

Following a Nicholls timeout, the Colonels came marching back and Taylor Morrison drilled a triple to give the visitors a two-point lead, 70-68, with 1:38 to go in regulation. On the other end, Steenholdt was fouled and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to one, 70-69. The Huskies fouled the Colonels, but Nicholls went 3-for-4 from the line in the final seconds to clinch the win.

HBU hosts McNeese State Saturday, March 8 at 3 pm. At halftime of the men's game (beginning at 7:30 pm), Wiebke Bruns will be honored as part of "Senior Day."