CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — A Southland Conference women’s basketball matchup featuring teams on divergent paths will tip off Monday when the Nicholls State Colonels visit the struggling Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at American Bank Center. Nicholls State (5-4) enters the contest with momentum, having secured a decisive 70-47 home victory over Houston Christian on Dec. 18. The Colonels have shown resilience, with three of their wins coming by single digits, including a 66-64 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 14. The Islanders (1-8) are seeking to halt a seven-game losing streak. Their lone win was a season-opening 100-30 rout of Biblical Studies on Nov. 3. Since then, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has faced a difficult non-conference slate, suffering defeats by an average margin of 26.6 points during the skid, including an 84-62 loss at Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 17. A key player to watch for Nicholls State is guard Tanita Swift, who is coming off a strong performance of 14 points and five assists in 34 minutes against Houston Christian. She also scored 14 points in a narrow 54-52 loss to Incarnate Word on Dec. 16. For the Islanders, guard Trinity Slocum will be a focal point. She led the team with 10 points and four assists in the loss to Stephen F. Austin. Finding consistent scoring beyond Slocum has been a challenge for Corpus Christi, which has been held under 50 points in four of its last five games. Historically, this series has been competitive, adding intrigue to the conference opener for both squads. The Colonels will look to capitalize on their balanced attack and improving record, while the Islanders aim to leverage home court and find a spark to turn their season around. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST tip-off on Dec. 29. Following this contest, Nicholls State will visit Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 31, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will host New Orleans on the same date.