Colonels snag Southern win in B.R., 64-58

For the second time in as many weeks, the Nicholls State Colonels defeated the Southern Jaguars.

Only this time, it was in Baton Rouge.

Behind a solid second half and clutch three-point shooting from junior Anatoly Bose, the Colonels claimed their fourth straight win, 64-58, over the Jaguars.

With the victory, Nicholls improves to 5-3 on the season, heading to the final non-conference slate.

“It was a frustrating game to coach because I felt like we never quite got clicking on all cylinders together,” said head coach J.P. Piper. “We couldn’t put together significant stretches of consistent basketball, but as frustrating as it was, I love the way we fought and dug ourselves out of those binds and found a way to get back on top.”

Bose went 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, finishing the night with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half. He also pulled down five rebounds to help the Colonels earn their second road win of the year.

Freshman guard Fred Hunter also reached double figures for Nicholls, netting 14 on the day and was the team’s leading rebounder with seven.

The Colonels found their spark early in the second half, using a 13-0 run that included back-to-back three-pointers from Bose to take a 48-38 advantage and swing momentum in their direction.

The Colonels forced six Jaguar turnovers through a five-minute span, part of 27 total points off of 20 Southern turnovers in the game.

Still, for Piper, the game was much too close to get comfortable with a lead.

“Ultimately, when it had to happen, we found a way to dig it out and win on the road,” the coach said. “Winning on the road early in the year is always tough, so this is a big step for us. Hopefully next time we can be a little more smooth and a little more efficient in getting that done.”

Late in the first half, the Colonels trailed but took the lead on back-to-back threes from freshman Kyle Ford and Bose.

The Colonels led at that point 28-25. However, a 4-0 run in the final minute gave the Jaguars the 29-28 lead at halftime.

Hunter led all players through the opening 20 minutes, pouring in eight and grabbing a team-best four rebounds.

Nicholls shot 45.5 percent (10-for-22) from the floor to the Jaguars’ 52.4 percent (11-for-21) through the opening stanza, though the Colonels improved to 52.0 percent shooting (13-for-25) in the second half.

The Colonels are back in action tonight at LSU to begin a three-game Southeastern Conference swing. The Colonels play Mississippi State Dec. 22 and the University of Mississippi on Jan. 3.

The team closes out the non-conference schedule Jan. 5 against Southern University-New Orleans (SUNO) before opening Southland Conference play at Northwestern State Jan. 10.