LSU football opens spring practices
March 14, 2012
LSU men push UK to limit; advance to postseason NIT
March 14, 2012
Nicholls State men’s basketball coach J.P. Piper’s body language said it all last Wednesday night at the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas.
The coach sat hunched in his chair, one leg crossed over the other.
His arms were stretched across the top of his head. His face was blank – not even watching the action, instead staring into the half-empty Merrell Center crowd.
No. 1-seeded Texas Arlington had just gotten another offensive rebound, this time turning the second chance into three more points – with it, extending their lead over the Colonels to 40 points.
It was just one of those nights for Nicholls, as the Colonels fell behind big early and never caught up, suffering a 96-48 thumping.
The loss marked the largest victory in the history of the Southland Conference Tournament, officially ending Nicholls’ season in the conference tournament’s quarterfinals round. The team finished with a 10-20 record.
“”We need to tip our hats to UT Arlington,” Piper said. “They were very impressive tonight like they have been all year long. No surprise there. Those guys played hard tonight and really took away everything that we wanted to do. And they were able to execute whatever they wanted to do.”
Texas-Arlington’s dismantling of the Colonels didn’t start from the opening tip, but before the game’s second media timeout, things were well in hand.
The Colonels scored the opening basket of the game on a jumper by guard Dantrell Thomas to take a 2-0 lead.
It was the only lead Nicholls enjoyed on the night, as the Mavericks answered the bucket by going on a 22-2 run over an 11 minute span to take firm control.
UT-Arlington scored both inside and out in the barrage, hitting 11-of-23 3-pointers on the night, while also outscoring Nicholls 32-14 in the paint, 42-11 on the bench and 10-0 in fast break chances.
The Colonels, on the other hand, struggled to score throughout the night, shooting just 23 percent from the field and 4-of-35 from the 3-point line.
“Our goal is to always hold teams to under 40 percent shooting and the previous five teams have shot over that mark,” UT-Arlington head coach Scott Cross said. “We really wanted to make a statement that we really are a legitimate defensive team because we take pride in it.”
In addition to being battered on the floor, Nicholls also suffered a costly injury during the Mavericks’ run.
Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and Ellender graduate Trevon Lewis left the game with just less than 11 minutes to go in the opening half after landing awkwardly following a missed layup.
The former Patriots’ standout couldn’t put any weight on his knee following the injury and missed the remainder of the game. Lewis did return to the team’s bench minutes later to support the Colonels. He was on crutches and had a large icepack on the injured spot.
He was visibly in pain for the remainder of the game, often wincing in his chair.
Piper didn’t confirm the extent of Lewis’ injury following the game, but Lewis has since confirmed on Twitter that he has a Torn ACL – an injury that will likely sideline him for at least some of next season – if not the entire year.
With one of their leaders on the shelf and with shots not splashing the net, the Mavericks took a 42-19 lead into halftime. Once there, UT-Arlington really opened the scoreboard, using a 16-3 spurt out of the lockers to put the game away for good.
Piper said even in defeat, he is proud of the effort Nicholls showed throughout the game.
“I’m just really proud of our guys,” Piper said. “I thought we competed hard. I thought we represented our university well. We certainly don’t like the score on the scoreboard, but I love the kids in our locker room.”
Next season was a topic that came up often in Piper’s postgame sentiments.
The coach lauded his team’s ability to overcome injuries and youth to become one of the top eight teams in the Southland Conference.
Nicholls returns virtually their entire rotation next season depending on Lewis’ injury status.
The team also returns forward Fred Hunter, who missed all of this season with a Torn ACL.
Piper also looked at UT-Arlington as a measuring stick for the team’s future, saying Nicholls’ 2011-12 roster strongly resembles the Mavericks’ 2010-11 team.
With one year of experience, UT-Arlington was able to become the league’s regular season champions.
Piper believes Nicholls’ learning curve may follow a similar path.
If his math is right, expect another trip to Katy in 2013 for the Colonels.
“The thing I shared with our team after the game is that last year UT Arlington was tabbed as the youngest team in NCAA basketball,” Piper said. “I think we are the second-youngest team in basketball this year. I keep telling my guys that the fact we made it to Katy is miraculous. No disrespect to UTA, but they didn’t get here last year.
“So I feel like in the grand scheme of things, we may be a little ahead of schedule to try to do what UTA is doing next year. … I’m excited about next season.”
Nicholls State freshman guard Shane Rillieux makes a move during last Wednesday’s opening round game in the Southland Conference Tournament.
