NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — Stephen F. Austin used a commanding interior presence to defeat Nicholls State 77-57 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks outscored the Colonels 42-26 in the paint, controlling the game throughout. Harmanie Dominguez led Stephen F. Austin with 18 points. Aziyah Farrier added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Marie Kenembeni and Sh’Diamond McKnight each scored 11 points for Nicholls State. The victory improved Stephen F. Austin’s record to 20-8. Nicholls State fell to 12-14.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — Stephen F. Austin used a dominant performance in the paint and a decisive third-quarter surge to pull away from Nicholls State for a 77-57 victory in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks improved to 20-8 overall, while the Colonels fell to 12-14. The game’s most important sequence came early in the third quarter, turning a competitive contest into a comfortable Stephen F. Austin lead. After Nicholls State’s Sh’Diamond McKnight opened the second-half scoring to cut the deficit to 33-30, the Ladyjacks responded with a 12-2 run over the next three minutes. The burst was fueled by interior scoring and defensive stops. Harmanie Dominguez hit a 3-pointer, Ashlyn Traylor-Walker and Myka Perry scored on layups, and Aziyah Farrier added a tip-in. The run stretched the Stephen F. Austin lead to 42-32, and the Colonels never got within single digits again. Stephen F. Austin’s offensive efficiency was the story, as it shot 52.6 percent from the field compared to Nicholls State’s 32.8 percent. The Ladyjacks also owned a 42-26 advantage in points in the paint. Nicholls State struggled to find consistent offense, posting an offensive rating of 83.2 points per 100 possessions, while Stephen F. Austin’s rating was a robust 108.2. Dominguez, a guard from Las Cruces, New Mexico, led all scorers with 18 points in 34 minutes. Forward Key Roseby of Frisco, Texas, added 16 points and five rebounds, and Traylor-Walker from Franklin, Indiana, chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and a game-high five assists. For Nicholls State, forward Marie Kenembeni of Yaounde, Cameroon, and guard McKnight each scored 11 points. Guard Anyra Wilson from Monroe, Louisiana, contributed four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Despite committing 20 turnovers, which Nicholls State converted into 17 points, Stephen F. Austin controlled the game through shot-making and rebounding. The Ladyjacks out-rebounded the Colonels 42-35 and blocked five shots, three coming from the 6-foot-2 Farrier, who also recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes. The first half was a sloppy affair, with the teams combining for 31 turnovers. Nicholls State stayed close by capitalizing on Stephen F. Austin’s mistakes and getting early production from McKnight, who had nine of her points before halftime. The Ladyjacks led 33-28 at the break, but the Colonels were within striking distance until the decisive third-quarter run. Stephen F. Austin’s defense tightened in the second half, holding Nicholls State to 29 points over the final 20 minutes. The Colonels went just 4 of 16 from 3-point range for the game and 13 of 20 from the free-throw line. The victory completed a regular-season sweep for Stephen F. Austin, which also defeated Nicholls State 86-78 on Jan. 15 in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The Ladyjacks have now won 11 of their last 13 games. Stephen F. Austin next travels to face Incarnate Word on Thursday. Nicholls State returns home to host McNeese State, also on Thursday.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks look to continue their push near the top of the conference standings when they host the Nicholls State Colonels in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Ladyjacks (19-8) enter on a three-game winning streak, including a dominant 101-64 victory over New Orleans on Thursday. Guard Ashlyn Traylor-Walker led the way with 23 points and seven assists, continuing a strong stretch where she has averaged 16.1 points over her last seven contests. Stephen F. Austin’s offense has been potent, scoring 93 and 101 points in two of its last three outings. Nicholls State (12-13) seeks to halt a two-game skid after falling 62-52 at Lamar on Thursday. The Colonels will rely on forward Marie Kenembeni, who scored 14 points and blocked three shots in that loss. Kenembeni has been a consistent offensive force, scoring in double figures in seven of her last eight games, including a 21-point, nine-rebound performance in a win at Southeastern Louisiana on Jan. 24. The Ladyjacks won the season’s first meeting, 86-78, at Nicholls State on Jan. 15. Containing Traylor-Walker and improving defensive intensity will be focal points for the Colonels, who have lost four of their last six. Stephen F. Austin has been strong at home this season and will aim to leverage that advantage against a Nicholls State team that is 4-8 in road games. Saturday’s matchup is the second of two scheduled meetings this season between the Southland Conference foes. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CST. Following this game, Stephen F. Austin travels to face Incarnate Word on Thursday, while Nicholls State returns home to host McNeese State.