NICHOLLS AT NEW ORLEANS
2 p.m. Saturday at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans (Southland Conference game)
Records: Nicholls (8-13 overall, 3-6 in the SLC); New Orleans (11-11 overall, 7-4 in the SLC)
Coaches: Nicholls – DoBee Plaisance (10th season); New Orleans – Keeshawn Davenport (fifth season)
Last meeting: March 4, 2017 – Nicholls defeated New Orleans, 79-69 (New Orleans leads all-time series, 25-18)
Statistical leaders: Nicholls – Cassidy Barrios (14.3 points per game, 9.3 rpg, 70 assists, 31 blocked shots), Tykeria Williams (12.9 ppg, 48 3-pointers), Tia Charles (9.5 ppg, 49 steals); New Orleans – Randi Brown (21.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 55 3-pointers, 56 steals), Shanie Woods (11.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Kayla Mundy (10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Notes: In their last games, Nicholls lost to Southeastern Louisiana, 66-57, and New Orleans lost to Northwestern State, 52-47 ... Nicholls is 5-5 on the road, while New Orleans is 7-3 at home ... Nicholls is eighth in the Southland Conference standings, while New Orleans is fifth in the conference … Nicholls is playing its first game in a week … Nicholls is on a four-game losing streak, while New Orleans had its five-game winning streak snapped with Wednesday’s loss to Northwestern State … Brown, a Houma native who played as a freshman at Covenant Christian Academy, will be one of five New Orleans players recognized on Senior Day … Freshman guard Dionjhae “Dee” Thomas was Class 1A first-team all-state player at Houma Christian School … Nicholls ranks sixth in the Southland in scoring offense (64.6 ppg) and is eighth in scoring defense (67.2 ppg) ... New Orleans ranks fifth in the Southland in scoring offense (64.6 ppg) and is sixth in scoring defense (64.8 ppg) ... Brown (first), Barrios (fifth) and Williams (10th) each rank in the Top 10 in the conference’s scoring average ... The Top 8 teams earn bids to the 2018 Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 7-11, at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas.
--Brent St. Germain/Sports Editor