THIBODAUX, La. – DeJa Roberts scored a career-high 15 points, but the Lamar University Cardinals saw their furious comeback effort fall short in a 78-67 loss to the host Nicholls Colonels in a Southland Conference women's basketball game Saturday afternoon.
 
Roberts scored 12 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals (12-5 overall, 5-2 Southland), who were down by as many as 19 points late in the third quarter, cut the deficit to one point with 1:10 remaining in regulation before the Colonels (6-12, 3-4) closed the game on a 10-0 run.
 
Kiandra Bowers had her ninth double-double of the season for LU, finishing 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Kiara Desamours added 13 points in the loss.
 
The Colonels used deadly shooting from both the free-throw line and beyond the arc to defeat the Cardinals for the fourth straight time at Nicholls' Stopher Gym. The Colonels were 19-of-20 (95 percent) from the stripe and 11-of-24 45.8 percent) from downtown. The Colonels were 16-of-16 from the foul line in the final quarter to seal the win. Nicholls built its lead thanks to sinking 11 of 19 3-point attempts over the first three quarters.
 
For the game, Nicholls was 24-of-41 (58.5 percent) from the field, while LU was 27-of-68 (39.7 percent). LU attempted just five free throws on the day, sinking three of them.
 
LU was whistled for a season-high 24 fouls, with Bowers and Desamours fouling out. LU guard Chastadie Barrs was limited to just seven minutes in the first half after picking up two early fouls.
 
Nicholls had five scorers in double figures, led by Tykeria Williams' 19 points. Cassidy Barrios finished with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.
 
The Cardinals, who trailed 51-32 with 1:55 remaining in the third quarter and 54-40 heading into the final period, trailed 68-67 with 1:10 remaining after a Desamours layup. LU, however, would miss two shots and commit two turnovers in its final four possessions while the Colonels wrapped up the win by going 10-of-10 from the line over the final 68 seconds.
 
KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE: Barrs had one steal, as she continues to have at least one steal in every game of her career. That streak is now 48 games.
 
NATIONAL LEADER: Bowers, who entered the game leading the nation in offensive rebounds at 5.81 per game, helped her cause with seven offensive rebounds on Saturday.
 
GOING DOWNTOWN: LU junior Baileigh O'Dell had two 3-pointers on Saturday, giving her 133 for her career, putting her in sole possession of fifth place on LU's all-time list.
 
UP NEXT: The Cardinals open a two-game homestand by hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. That is the opening game of a hoops doubleheader at the Montagne Center, as the LU men entertain Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 8 p.m. Wednesday's game will be streamed live on ESPN 3. For tickets, visit the Montagne Center ticket office, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.