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The officiating was suspect in Saturday night’s men’s basketball game between Nicholls and Houston Baptist.
Referees called 53 personal fouled, which sapped the game of its flow and limited the quality of play on both sides – turning a promising game between teams into a free throw shooting contest.
But in the end, the Colonels played their final two defensive possessions of the game without a whistle and that was enough to secure a huge road conference win.
Nicholls beat Houston Baptist 72-71 on Saturday, improving to 3-1 in the league in the win.
Senior forward Roddy Peters led the Colonels with 24 points in the win, including two key late-game free throws which erased a one-point deficit and put the Colonels on top for good.
“Anytime you can find a way to win on the road, it’s huge,” Colonels coach Richie Riley said. “We battled through foul trouble and adversity all night. Our guys were tough enough to finish the job. I’m proud of the growth that our team is showing and we need to continue to get better.”
Officials dominated the game far more than either team did.
The teams shot 63 combined free throws and two players fouled out and six others were on the brink, finishing play with four fouls.
The foul trouble really hurt Nicholls’ rotations, limiting the minutes of several of Riley’s top players.
Despite the whistles, Nicholls started strong, rolling to a 33-27 lead with five minutes to go in the opening half.
But in the final five minutes, Houston Baptist battled back strong, cutting Nicholls’ edge to 40-39 at halftime.
Senior Stevie Repichowski was a huge first-half boost for the Colonels, scoring 11 points with three made 3-pointers.
On the other end, David Caraher and Ian DuBose were clutch, combining for 24 points in the opening 20 minutes.
In the second half, the Colonels had to weave themselves out of a jam.
Houston Baptist built on their late-half momentum and took a 54-49 lead midway through the half, thanks in part to countless free throws awarded to them by the whistle-happy crew.
But every time it felt like the Colonels were yielding momentum, they’d take it back. Nicholls exploded on a 14-3 run over three minutes to take a 63-57 run with 9 minutes to go – a surge sparked by a 3-pointer by senior Lafayette Rutledge.
But the advantage didn’t have shelf life. Houston Baptist chipped away gradually, and when DuBose made a 3-pointer at the 2-minute mark, Houston Baptist led 69-66.
Then Peters took over.
The senior forward and former five-star recruit scored four points in the final two minutes, including the game-winning free throws late to reverse that deficit and push the Colonels on top.
Up 72-71 with 21 seconds left, the Colonels forced several missed shots over the final seconds to secure the win – a defensive push also aided by a block by senior Kimani Jackson.
With the victory, the Colonels are now 3-1 in the league – one of just five teams who have emerged with winning records in the early stages of the season.
Nicholls returns to Stopher Gymnasium tonight against McNeese. They’re also home on Saturday against Central Arkansas.
NICHOLLS WOMEN SECURE HUGE WIN
Is there anything that junior guard Cassidy Barrios can’t do?
Already leading the Colonels in every, single major statistical category, Barrios was monstrous on Saturday against Houston Baptist, posting 24 points and 20 rebounds in Nicholls’ 73-61 win over Houston Baptist.
With the victory, the Colonels improved to 2-2 in Southland play.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak in the league and got Nicholls back on the winning path.
“Cassidy is such a God-sent to our program,” Colonels coach DoBee Plaisance said earlier this season. “She has come in from day one and been a team player and she does whatever we ask her to do. She’s a terrific competitor.”
Barrios’ heroics erased a woeful first-half for the Colonels.
Nicholls struggled mightily in the first 20 minutes of the game, falling behind by double-digits, despite playing at Stopher Gym.
Houston Baptist led 39-28 at halftime, thanks to a second-quarter surge – an advantage that was a bit shocking given that they entered the game without a win in conference play.
But the lead didn’t hold up.
Nicholls played much better in the second half, quickly erasing that deficit into a lead.
The Colonels absolutely smothered Houston Baptist in the second half, limiting the opponent to just 28.6 percent shooting in the period.
While the defense stiffened, Barrios took over, posting 18 points and 13 rebounds in the second half alone, which allowed the Colonels to take the lead in the third and put it away in the fourth.
With the win, the Colonels take momentum into a road date against McNeese tonight.
The team will be home Saturday against Central Arkansas – the first women’s/men’s double header this season.
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