WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Colonels drop contest at TCU, 72-47

FORT WORTH, Texas – Nicholls State University’s women’s basketball team fell to Texas Christian University 72-47 in its third consecutive road game of the season on Thursday night at Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena.

In the programs’ third meeting of all time and first since 1997, TCU took an early lead and retained it for the remainder of the matchup. The Colonels cut the lead to four points in the first quarter, but a strong defensive performance by the Horned Frogs propelled them to a 25-point victory.

This marks the third straight game where an opponent held the Colonels to 47 points and a field goal percentage under 30 percent. However, the team’s 29.7 percent is its highest of the season.

Senior Airi Hamilton and freshman Terris McKay led the Colonels in scoring with 10 points each. Hamilton posted four field goals and two free throws, while McKay added four field goals and a pair of three-pointers off the bench. Hamilton also led the team in assists with four.

Additionally, senior Chrystal Ezechukwu finished with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Senior Kianna Ray made six field goals and two three-pointers to lead TCU offensively with 14 points.

TCU put the first points on the board off of a three-pointer from Ray. Ezechukwu answered for the Colonels with two points, but TCU widened its lead to 14-4 with 4:34 left in the first quarter. The Colonels went on to outscore the Horned Frogs 8-2, cutting the lead to 16-12 to close out the first quarter.

However, TCU added 28 points and held Nicholls to only seven to nearly double its lead (40-21) in the second quarter. Hamilton, McKay and freshman Chelsea Cain posted the Colonels’ only points of the quarter.

The third quarter began with a 7-point run by the Horned Frogs that McKay cut short on a three-pointer with 7:41 left to go. TCU brought its lead to 63-37 heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.

The Colonels slowed TCU down in the final quarter, holding the Horned Frogs to nine points and scoring an additional 10 points.

UP NEXT
The Colonels will host their first home game of the season against Paul Quinn College on Nov. 18 at 11:30 a.m. in Stopher Gymnasium.

STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Nicholls women’s basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@Nicholls_WBB).