Southeastern (19-11, 14-4 SLC) defeated Nicholls (14-19, 7-11 SLC) yesterday afternoon at the Legacy Center in Lake Charles 75-57 to move on to the semifinals of the Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament. 

The Lady Lions completed the trifecta over the Colonels, having beat their rivals in all three meetings of 2024; two of those have come in the last five days after SLU topped Nicholls on Thursday, March 7 in its regular season finale at the PRUC. 

Southeastern started fast from the opening tip and raced out to a 21-13 lead after the first quarter. 

The Colonels responded in the second period, outscoring the Lady Lions by two; SLU still remained ahead at the half, 36-30. 

The third quarter is where the Green and Gold began to separate from their opponents. Southeastern utilized the charity stripe to its advantage, converting 11 of 15 free throws for the game in the third period alone. 

A 25-12 SLU flurry put Coach Guzzardo’s side on cruise control, 61-42 heading into the fourth. 

From there, it was smooth sailing, and the Lady Lions coasted through the finish line for an 18-point win that advanced them to the next round. 

Graduate forward Kennedy Paul led Southeastern in points and rebounds with 18 and 10, marking her first double-double of the season. 

The Prairie View A&M transfer shot an efficient 7/13 from the field. 

Teammates Allasia Washington and Taylor Bell joined Paul in double figures with 16 and 14 points, respectively. 

First Team All-Southland selectee Hailey Giaratano paced the Lady Lions in assists with five while chipping in seven points on just five field goal attempts. 

Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jalencia “Jen” Pierre displayed her defensive prowess with a steal and added eight points on a productive 3/4 shooting.

Next up for the Green and Gold is a showdown with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (21-8, 14-4 SLC).

The Lady Lions and Islanders split their two regular season meetings, with the home team winning both times. 

SLU edged TAMU-CC 61-58 back on Jan. 11 in Hammond but lost a heartbreaker in Texas earlier this month (March 2), 79-73 in overtime. 

Tip-off for today’s matchup is set for 1:30 p.m. in what should be a spectacle for all to see. 

Tune in to ESPN+ to catch the game live or listen in on the radio at 90.9 The Lion. 

As always, for all things Southeastern women’s basketball, check out The Lion’s Roar.