Game Notes

THIBODAUX - After opening its longest homestand of the season by stretching its home-court winning streak to ten games with a victory on Wednesday night, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team (8-7, 2-2 Southland Conference) hosts in-state and Southland Conference rival Southeastern Louisiana (8-7, 2-1 Southland Conference) at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Colonels are calling for a Red Out of Stopher Gym in a battle of preseason Southland Conference favorites.  Fans are asked to wear red to the game in support of the Colonels.  Official Red-Out T-shirts are available at the Nicholls Bookstore this week and at Stopher Gym on the day of the game.

Nicholls, undefeated in seven games at home this season, has not lost in Stopher Gym since Feb. 10, 2010 and has gone 27-4 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season.  The Colonels stretch their home court win streak to an even ten on Wednesday night with a 70-51 victory over Central Arkansas in front of Nicholls' largest home crowd of the year.

The contest between the Colonels and Lions promises to be a highly-competitive one as both programs are among the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference East Division.  Nicholls, picked to win the East Division in the Southland Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, has gotten off to a hot start with wins over traditional in-state powers LSU (ending the Tigers' 82-game home court winning streak against in-state schools on Nov. 16) and Tulane (giving Nicholls its first ever win over the Green Wave on Nov. 26) while also tying the program's best start to a season in the last 16 years.

Meanwhile, the Lions, picked to win the East Division in the Southland Conference Preseason Sports Information Directors Poll, are off to a hot start of their own.  Southeastern has opened the season with an 8-7 start and a 2-1 mark in conference play, including a win over preseason West Division favorite Stephen F. Austin.  The Lions are led by guard Trent Hutchin, who began the week in the top 50 in the nation in both three-pointers per game (34th, 2.8) and three-point percentage (45th, 40.6) and Houma native DeShawn Patterson who owns a 2.55 assist/turnover ratio, the 29th best in the nation.

Nicholls counters with one of the most consistent scoring combos in the nation.  Senior forward Anatoly Bose ranks ninth in the nation with a 22.9 point/game scoring average entering the week and will be going for his 40th career 20-point game on Saturday. 

Joining him is junior guard/forward Fred Hunter who began the week ranked 36th in the nation with a .556 shooting average from the field, a mark sure to improve after the Denton, Texas native went 10-for-13 from the floor en route to a 21 point outburst against Central Arkansas on Wednesday.

The Nicholls offense is run through senior point guard Kenny Franklin Jr. who boasts a 2.75 assist/turnover ratio, the 16th best mark in the country.

Nicholls also boasts one of the most aggressive defenses in the nation.  The Colonels began the week ranked second in turnover margin (+6.4), 17th in steals/game (9.4) and 32nd in scoring defense (60.9).  On the defensive end of the floor, the Colonels are led by senior guard Kellan Carter and his 1.8 steal/game average.  He is joined by Franklin (1.6) and Bose (1.5) to give the Colonels three starters averaging at least 1.5 steals/game.

Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Stopher Gym in Thibodaux.  The game can be heard in the New Orleans-Houma-Thibodaux area on the Colonel Sports Radio Network, including the flagship home of Nicholls athletics, KLRZ 100.3 FM in LaRose and KLEB 1600 AM in Golden Meadow.  A free live streaming video webcast will be available at www.thibodauxonline.com.