Colonels roll into holiday

The first minute was bad.

The last three minutes weren’t great, either.

But the 36 minutes of play in between were awfully good for the Nicholls State University men’s basketball team in their final home test before Christmas break.

The Colonels walloped Mobile 96-52 last Wednesday in Stopher Gymnasium, earning their sixth win of the season.

Nicholls struggled early – so much so that coach Richie Riley called a timeout 42 seconds into the game. The final moments weren’t great, either, as Mobile ended the game on a 13-5 run to trim a 50-plus-point deficit to 44 at the final buzzer.

But in between, Nicholls dominated inside, outside and everywhere in between to secure a comfortable win – one which pleased Riley, despite the hiccups along the way.

“We put together almost a complete game until we subbed there late,” Riley said. “Our starters came out to start the game and we were a little bit uninterested it seemed like. I called a timeout within the first minute of the half, then they really stepped up and played the way we’re capable of playing.”

The Mobile game was never in doubt, nor should it have been.

The Colonels are more talented in every way.

On the perimeter, Nicholls swarmed the Rams with effort and energy, making outside shots and penetrating the paint with ease.

Senior Tevon Saddler scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting with six rebounds and two assists, while playing just 19 minutes.

Fellow senior Roddy Peters was just as good in a reserve role, scoring 18 points, while shooting 8-of-11 from the field.

Also having an impact among Nicholls’ guards were Jahvaughn Powell (8 points), Lafayette Rutledge (14 points) and freshman Kevin Johnson, who didn’t score much, but did everything else, posting 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals in the win.

“His energy is just tremendous,” Riley said of Johnson. “He’s gotten so much better since he’s been here. The older guys have helped him and he’s come in with a good work ethic. He’s quickly become one of those guys that I just love to coach.”

But where Nicholls beat the Rams is on the inside.

The Colonels’ penetration led to several passes to the paint and countless slam dunks.

Kimani Jackson led all Colonels with 23 points in the win, shooting 10-of-11 from the field with at least a half-dozen dunks.

Fellow post players Ryghe Lyons and Legend Robertin also had impacts, each scoring 6 points apiece.

Together, Nicholls’ lead post players combined to shoot 16-of-18 in the win with 35 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks.

The Colonels outscored Mobile 56-30 in the paint in the win.

“We played together as a team,” Jackson said. “That’s all it’s been – just playing unselfishly, getting each other a basket and continuing to play hard. (The plan) was just being physical – staying physical, playing hard and those 12-day practices prepared us for where we are now.”

But the lofty offensive stats are nothing new to Riley or the Colonels. They’ve been doing this all season.

Now, it’s time for the Colonels to get better on the other end of the floor.

During a long break between final examinations and a game last Monday against Tulane, Nicholls worked almost exclusively on defense – sometimes going two or three days of practices without attempting a single shot.

Against Mobile, the Colonels limited the Rams to 40 percent shooting and without a single 3-point basket.

The Rams turned over the ball 21 times and had just seven assists – all stats that Riley believes are positive as the team heads toward the bigger games on the schedule.

The coach said the Colonels’ defense is fine early in the shot clock but added that when teams break their press and set up half-court offense, Nicholls has been lacking.

“It’s encouraging how our defense is improving,” Riley said. “We need to continue to build our identity as a team as we go into conference play.”

That stretch is closer than ever.

Nicholls faced Seattle on Saturday afternoon with no score available at press-time.

Next week, the Colonels will jump straight into Southland play with home games against Northwestern State and Incarnate Word.

The game against Northwestern State is Thursday at 7 p.m. The game with Incarnate Word is Saturday at 6 p.m.

Riley said the key for Nicholls in league play will be to battle through adversity and continue to play at a high level.

“We play an up-tempo game,” Riley said. “We play more possessions than a lot of the other teams in the league. So it’s up to us to just keep battling. Keep competing and keep playing with energy and if something bad happens, move on to the next play.”

Richie Riley

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