Final Stats CSF-Nicholls Box Score

LAFAYETTE, La. – Down 55-44 with 12:04 remaining in the game, the Nicholls men's basketball team used a furious 16-9 rally over the next seven minutes to pull to within three of the Cal State Fullerton Titans Friday afternoon. But two quick three's by the Titans at the end of that run was enough to pull away from the Colonels and defeat Nicholls 73-63 in the opening game of the Beryl Shipley Classic at ULL.

Nicholls (0-3) got key stops during that run in the second period which led to the Colonels being able to claw back into the game, including a big night from sophomore Chris Talkington who scored nine of his career-high 17 points in the second period. Nicholls also got solid production from Trevon Lewis off of the bench with ten points, followed by Dantrell Thomas' nine.

“I think there is still a lot of learning this team has to do, but they put together a very good run in the second half and I believe they are starting to put it together,” head coach J.P. Piper said. “Fullerton did a great job of getting to the line and getting us into foul trouble and that's where they were able to get us tonight.”

CSF (2-0) took the Colonels to task at the free throw line, as the Titans went to the charity stripe a season-high 35 times against the Colonels and made 24, while Nicholls went to the line only 21 times, but only converted on 12. The Titans had four players score in double-figures led by D.J. Seeley's 18 points, who converted on the second three pointer of a 6-0 run for the Titans that put them up nine with less than four minutes remaining in the game.

Nicholls forced CSF into 21 turnovers and scored 21 points from those miscues, and dominated on points in the paint with a 32-22 point advantage. The Nicholls bench also outscored the Titans' bench 26-14, as the bulk of CSF's points came from their three starters Seeley, Omondi Amoke and Isiah Umpig.

Talkington began the game for the Colonels scoring the team's first eight points after four minutes of play, and he would eventually get help from his team in the form of a balanced attack as seven Nicholls players scored in the period. Nicholls was aided in the fact that they forced CSF into 13 early turnovers, scoring ten points off of them.

There were a total of ten ties and ten lead changes in the period, as the Titans only made ten shots from the field in the period to Nicholls' 11, but went to the line 21 times and made 13 while the Colonels only shot ten and made five. Up 27-26 with 4:20 left in the half, the Titans went on a 7-0 run as it became a 9-2 run that put the Titans up 35-29 heading into the locker room.

The Colonels will hit the hardwood tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the first game Saturday against Houston Baptist.