McKay has career night in Colonels’ 74-66 setback at South Alabama

MOBILE, Ala. – Sophomore Terris McKay racked up a career-high 21 points and six steals for the Nicholls State University women’s basketball team against South Alabama, but the Colonels fell short, 74-66, to the Jaguars Saturday night in the Mitchell Center.

Nicholls (1-2) put up a valiant effort on offense, scoring 20 points in each of the first two quarters; however, had trouble slowing down the bigger South Alabama squad. The Jaguars finished the game shooting 58 percent from the field and only trailed in the first quarter.

McKay went 8 of 17 from the field and surpassed her career-high of 10 points in the first half with 13. She also accounted for over half of the Colonels’ steals (11). Nicholls has had double figures in steals in all three games this season.

Chyna Allen joined her in double figures with 15 points, and Anna McKendree came off the bench with 12 points. The trio each sank two 3-pointers apiece as Nicholls shot 7 of 22 for the game.

The fast start for the Colonels was helped by an early 7-0 run. With USA leading, 4-2, Nicholls grabbed a 9-4 advantage after Allen completed a basket-and-one. It was the largest lead for the game for the Red and Gray.

South Alabama managed to regain the lead, 18-16, on a Devyn Lowe 3-pointer before the end of the first quarter and never trailed again.

Nicholls was down 46-40 at the break and midway through the third, was able to make it a one-possession game on three separate occasions. The last was on a McKendree 3-pointer that made it 58-55 with two minutes to go in the third.

South Alabama led by as much as 13 in the fourth. Nicholls made a run towards the end of the game but the final was the closest margin the rest of the way.

Antoinette Lewis caused problems for the Colonels inside, finishing with a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds. USA outrebounded the Colonels for the game, 34-21.

Nicholls shot 44 percent from the field and was 9 of 13 from the free-throw line. Chelsa Cain, who came into the game as the Colonels’ leading scorer, finished with eight points.