Final Stats Nicholls-Auburn Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – For ten minutes, the Auburn Tigers thought they would be able to outrun the Nicholls men's basketball team Friday night. Instead the Colonels kept the game close for much of the first half and got career nights from Chris Talkington, Shane Rillieux and Trevon Lewis, but the Tigers scored nearly 50 points in the paint and defeated the Colonels 78-57 in Auburn Arena.

Talkington finished with a career-high 20 points in the game, followed by Trevon Lewis who finished with 15 points and team-best 12 rebounds for the first double-double of his career, and for the team this season. Rillieux scored a career-best 12 points to round out the Nicholls contingent who scored in double figures.

Auburn (3-0) forced the Colonels (1-5) into 21 turnovers on the night, and finished with a team-record 17 blocks.

Down 39-33 at the half, the Tigers went on an 18-9 run to start the second, pulling away from the Colonels as their up-tempo game extended their lead. After hitting only one of 14 three pointers in the first period, Auburn hit five in the second to finish 6-of-22 on the night.

Down 23-13 with nearly ten minutes remaining in the half, the Tigers looked like they were going to press the Colonels and turn the game into a track meet. But the Colonels kept their composure and used a combination of three's and free throws and clawed their way back into the game.

Nicholls scored 20 points over the last ten minutes, as the Colonels hit five three's and eight free throws. Talkington scored ten of his points in the half as five different Colonels scored in the first period.

A 10-4 run by Nicholls that spanned nearly three minutes made the score 27-20 Auburn, and for the next six minutes, the Colonels came within one of the Tigers as Nicholls outscored Auburn 12-6 to make the score 33-32 with 90 seconds left in the half. But a 6-0 run by Auburn to end the half gave the Tigers enough breathing room headed into the second.

The Tigers dominated the paint, exploiting the Colonels' lack of size, to the tune of 46 points in the lane and scored 15 points on second chance opportunities. The 17 turnovers Auburn forced resulted in 22 Tiger points and got 21 points from their bench play.

The Colonels got to the line 11 times in the first half and got key Auburn players into foul trouble early. It was a different story in the second as the Colonels only went to the line three times in the entire final 20 minutes.

Nicholls will have a short turnaround, hosting the ULM Warhawks Monday night in Thibodaux at 6:30 p.m. in Stopher Gym.