Nov. 22, 2007

Final Stats

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Colonels fell to the UC Davis Aggies in The Pavilion on Wednesday night by the score of 69-67, and will close out their west coast tour at St. Mary's on Saturday.

"We have to be tougher and we are going to have to be able to make easy baskets if we expect to win, and we didn't make the shots that we needed to make tonight," said head coach J.P. Piper.

Leading the Colonels in scoring was sophomore Michael Czepil with 15 points as junior Ryan Bathie followed with 14, and junior Gil Verner rounded out Nicholls double digit scorers with 12 off the bench. Bathie and true freshman Anatoly Bose each had a team best seven rebounds in the loss.

The games high scorer was the Aggies Vince Oliver with 19 to go along with two other UC Davis players in double figures.

The Colonels (1-4) played a sound first half as they went into the locker room at halftime with a 33-32 lead. The first half consisted of seven lead changes and 10 ties, and Nicholls was the more efficient team from the floor with a 37.5 percent (9-of-24) field goal percentage and a 38.5 percent (5-of-13) mark from behind the arc. The Aggies (3-2) did out shoot the Colonels from the free throw line by making 19-of-22 charity shots on the likes of 17 Nicholls fouls. Czepil led all scorers at the half with 11 points, while Bathie was second best on the team with seven at the midway point.

Both teams started out the second half hot, but UC Davis started out hotter as they went on a 12-3 run to extend their lead to seven, 53-46, at the 13:12 mark. The Aggies shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) from field goal range in the second half to average out at game's end with a 45.5 percent (20-of-44) mark. Nicholls cut into the lead and got it as close as two points, 67-65, at the 2:00 point on the likes of four straight points by Bathie before the Aggies pulled away to remain perfect on their home floor this season.

For the game, there were 11 lead changes and 11 ties as Nicholls out rebounded the Aggies 34-32, and each bench put forth 24 points. UC Davis led in points in the paint 24-to-12, and points off turnovers, 22-to-12. Each team had 18 turnovers in the contest.

The Colonels will finish up their non-conference stint in California with a game against St. Mary's on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The Gaels defeated No. 12 Oregon on Tuesday by the score of 97-89. Pre-game will air on 105.9 FM KBZE, the flagship station for Colonel Athletics, and 640 AM KTIB at 2:45 p.m. CT.

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