WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Barrios’ 20-20 game helps Nicholls beat HBU, 73-61

HOUSTON – Junior Cassidy Barrios scored 24 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds as the Nicholls State University women’s basketball team rallied for a 73-61 victory Saturday in Sharp Gym.

Nicholls (7-8, 2-2 SLC) trailed by 11 at halftime before dominating the rest of the game, holding HBU (4-9, 0-3 SLC) to just 22 second-half points. The Colonels limited the home team to only eight field goals after the break on 28 attempts.

Barrios’ 20-rebound performance is the single-game high for the Southland Conference this season. She has now recorded a double-double in all four league games and has eight for the campaign. Barrios entered the matchup ranked 22nd in the NCAA in the category and with her 24-point effort, is only just seven points away from reaching 1,000 for her career.

Barrios was one of three Colonels to score in double figures. Tykeria Williams netted 15 points, and Tia Charles put together an impressive stat line of 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. The trio accounted for all 11 of the Colonels’ steals, with Williams swiping four as well.

HBU shot 50 percent in the first half, led by a strong performance from Amanda Johnson who had 15 of her 17 points before the intermission. After connecting on 7 of 9 field goals in the half, Nicholls held the Huskies’ leading scorer to 1 of 4.

Down 39-28 after two quarters, the Colonel defense turned the game around in the third. Nicholls made only 3 of 17 from long range, but Williams drained her lone 3-ball of the game to give the Red and Gray a 43-42 advantage. Nicholls would outscore HBU in the period, 24-10.

Nicholls gave up the lead at the 7:01 mark in the fourth after Britta Daub hit a jumper, but the Colonels controlled the rest of the game. Charles and Marina Lilly (8 points) made field goals for a 3-point edge, and after HBU cut it to one point, Barrios drilled a 3-pointer to start a dominating run to close out the victory. Nicholls scored 14 straight points over a five-minute stretch until HBU hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining.

Both teams shot slightly over 40 percent for the game. With the help of Barrios, the Colonels had a 45-37 edge on the boards.

UP NEXT

Nicholls heads to Lake Charles to take on McNeese on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

For the latest news on Colonel women’s basketball, follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_WBB.