Final Stats Box Score and Play-by-Play

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Three different Colonels scored in double figures as the Nicholls State University men's basketball team (6-5) threatened down the stretch against No. 16 Texas A&M (13-1).  However, the Aggies managed to hold off Nicholls' late second half charge as the Aggies claimed a 66-55 win in a see-saw battle at Reed Arena on Monday night.

The Colonels jumped out to an early lead in what would prove to be a back-and-forth affair.  Nicholls opened the first half with an 11-3 run as junior guard/forward Fred Hunter scored the first eight points for the Colonels by hitting three of his first four field goal attempts and connecting on two of his first four free throw attempts.  Senior guard Justin Ayers capped the opening run with a three-pointer at the 14:11 mark to make it 11-3 in favor of Nicholls.

However, in what would become a theme on the night, Texas A&M answered with a run of their own.  The Aggies went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 11-11 with 12:06 remaining in the first half.  The Aggies took their first lead of the night with 8:09 left in the first as an A&M layup made it 17-16.  Texas A&M went up as many as seven in the opening frame, taking a 29-22 lead with 4:07 left in the first.

The Colonels closed the gap heading into halftime by going on a 9-6 run to close the first down just 35-31.  Nicholls continued to rally in the second half, reducing the deficit to three on four separate occasions in the final frame.  However, the Aggies shot 52.4 percent (11-for-21) in the second half to hold the Colonels off down the stretch. 

Texas A&M showed the form that made the Aggies the 15th best rebounding team in the country, claiming a 33-22 rebounding average on the night to produce 10 second chance points.

Nicholls stayed in the game thanks to a swarming defense that produced nine steals and ten Aggie turnovers that led to 10 Colonel points.  However, it wasn't enough as the Aggies held Nicholls off down the stretch for the 66-55 final score.

The Aggies shut down Nicholls' Anatoly Bose, who came in averaging 25.0 points/game, the second best mark in the country.  Bose totaled just six points, but contributed to the Colonel cause by dishing out five assists as three other Colonels took on the scoring burden. 

Hunter led the way with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting.  Ayers totaled a career-high 14 points off the bench while going 3-for-5 from three point range, and senior point guard Kenny Franklin Jr. connected on 4-of-5 three pointers en route to a 12-point performance.

Texas A&M was led by a trio of double-digit scorers of their own.  The Aggies got a game-high 18 points from David Loubeau, 17 from Khris Middleton and 13 from B.J. Holmes.  Texas A&M claimed their 73rd consecutive regular season non-conference home court victory and won their tenth consecutive game of the year.

Nicholls will return to action on Saturday when they host Texas-Arlington in the Southland Conference opener for both teams.  Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Stopher Gym.  The Colonels enter Southland Conference play as one of the league's preseason favorites, having been selected first in the Southland East Division in the preseason coaches poll.