THIBODAUX, La. – An 11-2 run to open the second half that turned a two-point Nicholls lead to an 11-point advantage was too much for HBU, as the Huskies fell to the Colonels, 70-58, Thursday evening from Stopher Gym.
Shanice Steenholdt scored a game-high 20 points to pace HBU (6-8 overall, 0-3 SLC), 16 coming in the first half. She went 9-of-13 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. She was tied for the game high of eight rebounds.
Erin McGarrachan scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She set a new career high with two 3-pointers made.
Anna Strickland had eight points and six boards. The Huskies shot 45 percent from the floor in the game.
Shay Arnick and Hope Pawlowski each scored 15 points to lead Nicholls (5-8 overall, 1-1 SLC). Tia Charles chipped in with 10. Arnick was tied with Steenholdt for the game high of eight rebounds. The Colonels shot 44 percent from the floor in the contest. HBU held Nicholls' leading scorer, Jenny Nash, to seven points on just 2-of-7 shooting.
Nicholls started the game with a three-pointer and eventually led the Huskies by three, 5-2. HBU battled back and outscored the Colonels 6-3 to tie the contest at 8-all with under 13 minutes to go in the opening half.
Nicholls outscored the Huskies, 5-2, to take a three-point lead, 13-10, following a Marina Lilly jumper at the 10:42-mark. Back-to-back layups by Steenholdt and Strickland gave HBU a 14-13 advantage with 8 ½ minutes to go in the first half.
The Colonels would once again take the lead following four-straight points, but would be answered by six consecutive points by Steenholdt, as HBU took the lead again, 20-17, with 4:13 to go.
Four-straight Colonel free throws gave the hosts a one-point lead, but a jumper by
Monet Neal changed the lead towards the Huskies, 22-21. Following a Nicholls turnover, Steenholdt hit a layup to give the Huskies a three-point advantage, 24-21, with 2 ½ minutes remaining in the half.
With HBU leading by one, Ekiya Gray forced a steal that led to a three-pointer by Nash to give Nicholls a two-point lead, 26-24, with two minutes to go. Tia Charles would hit another three pointer for the Colonels for their largest lead of the game, 29-24, with 1:38 remaining. HBU would continue to battle and, in the waning seconds, Steenholdt forced a steal and made a layup just before the buzzer to cut the deficit to two, 33-31.
Steenholdt led all players with 16 first-half points for HBU. Pawloski led Nicholls with 13 points, while Arnick was tied with Steenholdt for the half high of six rebounds.
Nicholls started the second half outscoring the Huskies, 11-2, with HBU's only points coming on a jumper by
Meghan Shank to make the score 35-33 in favor of the Colonels. Nicholls would rattle off nine-straight points to take an 11-point lead, 44-33, before Strickland's layup at the 11:03-mark stopped the bleeding.
Nicholls would take its largest lead of the game as Charles' three-pointer gave the hosts a 53-39 advantage with nine minutes to go in the game.
Down by 12 with 4 ½ to go, HBU scored five straight points to cut the deficit to seven, 61-54, with 3:28 remaining following two
Rachel Arthur free throws and a three-pointer by McGarrachan. But Nicholls would close out the game outscoring HBU, 7-2, for the win.
Strickland scored six points in the second half to lead HBU, followed by McGarrachan with five. Arnick had 10 points to lead the Colonels.
HBU closes its Louisiana trip with a 4:30 pm tip Saturday at Southeastern Louisiana.
