Final Stats ULM-Nicholls Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. – Even with five players scoring in double figures, the Nicholls men's basketball team dropped its first game at home 86-65 to the ULM Warhawks Monday night in Stopher Gym.

The Colonels (1-6) went into the locker room down two, 36-34, but the Warhawks (1-6) scored 50 points in the half and hit 12 3-pointers in the game to finish with a 57-percent average on the night.

Shane Rillieux played all 40 minutes for the Colonels and scored 12 points with four rebounds, along with Chris Talkington who also scored 12. Sam McBeath came off the bench to score 12, hitting three 3-pointers in the game, while Bryan Hammond and Sterling Bailey scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

There were five ties and 11 lead changes in the first half, as the Colonels came out with a strong energy to start the game. The Colonels had the advantage in points in the paint with eight, and got 13 points from its bench. The Colonels led by as many as six points after 11 minutes of play thanks to the strong scoring of McBeath who finished eight points in the half to give Nicholls a 17-11 lead.

However, the last ten minutes proved to be the Warhawks' momentum builder that pushed the Colonels to the limit, going on a 7-0 run lasting four minutes to take the second of their six leads in the half. ULM traded shots with the Colonels for the period, but took the lead with 34 seconds left on an R.J. McCray layup.

There would be four more ties within the first six minutes of the second, as neither team relented. But the Warhawks went on an 8-0 run from the 14:04 mark to the 12:29 mark of the second to extend a lead that doubled by the 5:20 mark after a 9-0 ULM run made the score 75-59 in favor of the visitors.

It was then that ULM started to attack the depleted Colonels roster, scoring 20 points in the paint and 13 second chance points on 10 offensive boards to finish the night. Eventually, ULM's bench scored 40 points behind starter Charles Winborne's 19 to lead all players.

As a team, the Warhawks shot 62-percent (31-for-50) from the field along with their 57-percent night from beyond the arc, while Nicholls fired 22 3-pointers and made nine for a 40-percent clip, and 40-percent from the field total

After being a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line in the first half, the Colonels only went to the line eight times in second, making just four.

Nicholls will return to action on Friday, Dec. 9 in Houma to take on the Loyola-New Orleans Wolfpack at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center. This game will be sponsored by Rouses Markets and is the second game of a men's and women's doubleheader.