SLU downs Nicholls in regular season finale

HAMMOND, La. – The reigning Southland Conference champions Southeastern Louisiana University women’s basketball team closed out the regular season with a 68-62 victory over Nicholls in the Pride Roofing University Center Thursday evening.

Senior guard Hailey Giaratano (25 points) helped Southeastern (18-11, 14-4 SLC) end its regular season with a solid performance of seven rebounds and four assists. Giaratano led all scorers shooting 5-6 from the free throw line and 47.3 percent from the field over Nicholls (13-17, 7-11 SLC). Giaratano and Jalencia Pierre (eight points) tied with four assists to lead the team.

Junior transfer Cheyanne Daniels followed up with 15 points finishing 71.4 percent around the rim along with 83.3 percent shooting from the stripe. Daija Harvey (nine points) also contributed balanced scoring from behind the three-point line for the Lady Lions.

Southeastern finished with a 25-16-point advantage in the fourth quarter over Nicholls to end with the victory at home. The Lady Lions gained 30 points in the paint and remained aggressive on the boards to gain 12 points off second chance opportunities.

SLU came out to a hot start with an 8-0 run early in the matchup before Nicholls fought back to end the first quarter down by six, 17-11. The Colonels gained a spark in the second quarter from the three-point line with a nine-point scoring run to chip away at Southeastern’s lead before halftime trailing by five, 30-25. Southeastern obtained its biggest 15-point lead midway in the second quarter.

The dynamic duo of Giaratano and Daniels came alive in the second half of the contest while Nicholls turned up its defensive pressure to secure its first lead of the game. The Colonels ended the third quarter with a 21-13-point advantage over SLU shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 100.0 percent from the free throw line to finish with a 46-43 lead.

SLU secured an 11-point scoring run late in the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead. Southeastern gained the upper hand with three back-to-back possessions from the behind the arch to finish with a 25-16-point advantage.

The Lady Lions maintain their position leading the conference in field goal percentage defense pressuring Nicholls to shoot 38.3 percent from the field. Southeastern forced the Colonels into 12 turnovers, though sophomore Lexi Alexander finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Alexander carried Nicholls throughout the matchup finishing 6-8 from the free throw line to contribute to the Colonels shooting 80.0 percent from the charity stripe. Kyla Hamilton (14 points) dished out three assists and ended the night shooting 5-9 from the field. Hamilton turned the momentum for Nicholls from the three-point line shooting 57.1 percent to cause some trouble for the Lady Lions throughout the contest.

Nicholls forced Southeastern into 17 turnovers and capitalized off 13 points in the game. Southeastern finished the matchup shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 76.5 percent from the free throw line. SLU won the battle on the road with a 36-32 rebounding advantage alongside gaining six steals. Southeastern’s bench chipped in 14 points to contribute double-digit scoring throughout league play.

The Lady Lions will travel to Lake Charles, La. to compete in the SLC Tournament March 11-14 in the Legacy Center. Southeastern holds the third seed in the tournament securing a one game bye. SLU will play Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. against the winner of Nicholls versus New Orleans. Tuesday’s game will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard online at www.LionSports.net/ListenLive.

SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women’s Basketball, follow @LionUpWBB on X, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.

TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern offers mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.