Nicholls falls in court dedication

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If you can’t score, you can’t win.

The Nicholls State University men’s basketball team found that out the hard way on Saturday night against Southeastern Louisiana.


The Colonels went more than 6 minutes without a bucket in the second-half drought, which erased a sizeable lead and allowed the Lions to secure the lead.

Nicholls battled back, but the Lions protected the ball and made free throws late to secure a 67-63 road win.

The loss drops Nicholls to 13-9 on the season and 7-2 in Southland Conference play – a half-game out of first-place in the highly competitive league.


The Lions are also 7-2 in the league, owning the tiebreaker over their rivals. The teams will do battle again March 3 – the final game of the regular season.

“I think we didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball,” Nicholls coach Richie Riley said. “We didn’t do a good job of executing on offense or defense. Our execution was poor and I tip my hat to them.”

This one stings doubly for the Colonels.


On one hand was the circumstances of the game, which saw Nicholls give up a lead it likely should have finished.

The teams went to halftime tied at 31, but the Colonels roared out to an advantage in the second half, opening up a 48-38 lead with 13 minutes to play.

But then, the Colonels hit a brick wall.


From the 13-minute mark to the 5-minute mark in the second half, Nicholls scored just three points, allowing the Lions to go on a 19-3 run to take a 57-51 advantage.

Nicholls battled back, going on a 6-0 spurt which tied the game at 57 with 3:30 to play. But the Lions made the last run, taking a 65-62 lead with less than a minute to play.

The Colonels had a chance to tie when freshman guard Kevin Johnson was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 4 seconds to play.


But the freshman made just one of three free throw attempts, which allowed the Lions to secure the road win – pushing Nicholls out of first place in the Southland.

Riley said the offensive lull is odd for his team. The Colonels are one of the best offensive teams in the league. But he gives credit to the Lions for the defensive intensity, which he said changed the game.

“They did a good job guarding us and turned it into their type of game, where it was slower and less possessions,” Riley said.


Senior guard Roddy Peters led Nicholls with 22 points in defeat. Seniors Kimani Jackson and Tevon Saddler also had double figures, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Saddler had a double-double, adding 10 rebounds to his scoring output.

But what made the loss sting a little more was the circumstances which surrounded the night.


Nicholls honored legendary coach Rickey Broussard before the game, dedicating a new basketball floor to the coach.

The court was dedicated by the One Shining Moment Foundation based out of Thibodaux. It was named after Broussard to honor one of the most successful coaches in Nicholls basketball history – a coach who twice made the NCAA Tournament for Nicholls during his tenure from 1990-2002.

Riley has said multiple times during his tenure that he admires Broussard and has a close relationship with him.


Athletic Director Matt Roan said Broussard deserves his place in history.

The court is portable and can be lifted when other events are taking place in Stopher Gym.

Its color scheme is black and red and the paint is far smoother and crisp than the old, worn-down floor.


“We are so proud to be able to place Coach Broussard’s name on the court,” Roan said. “Coach was incredibly successful during his tenure here and uplifted Nicholls, our department and the basketball program. It’s our pleasure to honor him in this way.”

The Colonels will sit out the mid-week game, then will return to action on Saturday at UNO.

Nicholls and the Privateers are among the top teams in the Southland.


NICHOLLS WOMEN FALL TO LADY LIONS

The Nicholls State University women’s basketball team is in a funk.

The Colonels lost 66-57 to Southeastern on Saturday in Stopher Gym – the first official game on the new Broussard Court floor.

Nicholls led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, then fell behind 23-22 at halftime.


The third quarter was the difference in the game with the Lady Lions surging out in front 45-34, which sealed Nicholls’ fate.

Cassidy Barrios led the Colonels in scoring with 16 points. She also had seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals – playing all 40 minutes.

Tia Charles added 14 points.


With the loss, the Colonels have now lost four-straight games, falling to 3-6 in Southland Conference.

The Colonels will return to action Saturday at UNO – one of the better teams in the league.

Roddy Peters


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