NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State women's basketball team returns home for three games opening with Nicholls State Thursday at 5:30 in Prather Coliseum for Natchitoches Parish Night.
The game is the first of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team who are set to play at 7:30. Tickets can be bought in advance for $5 by calling the NSU ticket office at 357-4268 or at nsudemons.com using the promotional code “ParishNSU” at the time of purchase.
The game will broadcast on ESPN3.com, and Lyn Rollins and Van Chancellor will have the call. The game can also be heard on 100.7 KZBL in Natchitoches and will audio streamed at nsudemons.com.
Northwestern State (5-10, 1-4 SLC) is coming off of a three-game road stretch in which it played three of the current top five teams in the Southland Conference, all in the span of one week. The Lady Demons lost to Sam Houston 72-61 on Jan. 7, Oral Roberts 66-55 on Jan. 10, and Central Arkansas 60-44 on Jan 12.
Nicholls (11-4, 3-1 SLC) won at home against Oral Roberts 69-66, and on the road at McNeese 78-61 and Southeastern Louisiana 71-65.
“Nicholls is a very good ball club. They've got a really good inside-out combination with (Alisha) Allen and (KK) Babin,” said co-head coach
Brooke Stoehr. “KK is a great guard and playmaker that can shoot the ball and does a lot for them.”
Babin is second on the team and 11th in the Southland Conference in scoring with 12.5 points per game. She also averages 4.9 assists per contest, which ranks second in the league.
Allen leads the Lady Colonels with 14.7 points a game, her average ranks sixth in the SLC.
“Allen works extremely hard in the paint, a very good scorer, and an active rebounders,” said Stoehr. “We're going to have to do a good job containing those two and not let their third and fourth scorers get hot. “
Northwestern State's
Jasmine Bradley is going in the game with two straight double-figure scoring contests, and has four in the last six games. She averages 7.5 points and six rebounds a game.
Jasmine Upchurch had her four game double-figure streak snapped at Central Arkansas when she scored nine. She leads the team in points (11.8) and rebounds (6.2) a game.
The Lady Demons will take on Southeastern Louisiana Saturday at 1 o'clock in Prather Coliseum.
