Final Stats Box Score and Play-by-Play

THIBODAUX -  Down by as many as 13 midway through the second half, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team (12-11, 6-6 Southland Conference) embarked on a furious rally over the final 11 minutes of the game and senior forward Anatoly Bose, who totaled 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, delivered the final blow with a tip in off an offensive rebound with two seconds left and a steal of the ensuing inbounds pass to give the Colonels a 54-52 victory over Texas-San Antonio (13-12, 6-6 Southland Conference) on Saturday in Stopher Gym.

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak and was the first for the Colonels since losing junior guard/forward Fred Hunter to a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 8.  At the time of his injury, Hunter was the Colonels' leading rebounder, second leading scorer and owner of the 19th best shooting percentage in the nation. 

With four regular season games remaining, the victory over UTSA gives Nicholls the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Roadrunners in a crowded race for the 2011 Southland Conference Tournament.  The day began with the Colonels 1.0 game out of the eighth and final spot, but with the top ten teams in the league separated by just 3.0 games.

Fortunately, for Nicholls, the rest of the Colonels found a way to pick up the slack in Hunter's absence.  The Roadrunners, winners of 14 of the last 15 between the two schools opened strong taking a 23-17 lead into halftime thanks to a swarming defense that limited Nicholls to 6-for-22 shooting (27.3 percent) in the opening period. 

The Roadrunners continued to pull away in the second half, taking a 13 point lead thanks to a 15-4 run over a six minute stretch early in the second.  A three-pointer by Sei Paye capped the run and put UTSA up 40-27 with 11:30 left, the Roadrunners largest lead of the game.

However, the Colonels refused to go quietly.  After Bose was held to just five first half points, the Sydney Austrailia native racked up 19 in the second half en route to a game-high 24.  It marked Bose's 45th career 20-point game and gave him 1,933 career points, moving him past former Colonel Johnny Hall (who racked up 1,916 points from 1976-80) for third place on the school's all-time career scoring list.  With four regular season games remaining, Bose needs 67 more points to become just the third Colonel in school history with 2,000 career points.

The Colonels began driving the lane more in the second half, drawing UTSA fouls and getting to the free throw line 14 times in the second half, connecting on 10 free throws.  The Colonels went 13-for-19 from the free throw line while sending UTSA to the charity stripe just 15 times on the game, leading to 11 Roadrunner points.

Meanwhile, the Nicholls defense stepped up, forcing 12 second half turnovers by the Roadrunners to keep UTSA's offense in check.  The Colonels drew several second half charges and twice swarmed the UTSA offense into committing a pair of shot clock violations in the second period.

With 4:49 left in the half, the Colonels were down by seven, trailing 51-47.  However, Bose sank his only three of the game on the next trip up the floor, and the Nicholls defense came up with a pair of stops on each of the next two UTSA possessions.  Bose drew a foul with 2:22 remaining and sank both of his free throws to bring the Colonels to within two at 51-49.

The Colonels and Roadrunners both missed shots on their next trips up the floor, but the Colonel defense then forced UTSA into their second shot clock violation of the half with 43 seconds remaining.  Nicholls was still down two, but senior point guard Kenny Franklin Jr. delivered a clutch three-pointer, his only of the game, with 22 seconds left.  Franklin's three gave the Colonels their first lead of the second half, putting Nicholls up 52-51.

However, the Roadrunners would not go quietly as UTSA point guard Devin Gibson drew a foul on the next trip up the floor and went to the line.  Gibson missed the first of his two free throws, sending the Stopher Gym crowd into an uproar, but the UTSA guard made his second attempt to tie things up 52-52 with 13 seconds left.

The Colonels pushed the ball up the floor, and with Bose covered by multiple UTSA defenders, Franklin found freshman forward Elridge Moore along the baseline.  The New Orleans native went up in traffic and missed, grabbed his own rebound.  Moore's second attempt went in and out, but by then, Bose had shaken loose and tipped it back in for his ninth rebound and 24th point.

With two seconds left on the clock, the Roadrunners had time for one last play, but after Paye heaved the inbounds pass from under the Nicholls basket to just outside the UTSA three-point line, Bose and Moore converged to knock down the Roadrunners' Hail Mary attempt and clinch the victory.

The Colonels will return to action when they embark on a two-game road trip beginning with a Wednesday night match-up at Central Arkansas, looking for a season-sweep of the Bears.  Nicholls will then visit in-state rival McNeese State on Feb. 26 looking to avenge a one-point loss to the Cowboys in the first meeting between the two teams this year.

The Colonels will return to Nicholls on Wednesday March 2 in their home court finale against Northwestern State before visiting Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, March 5 to wrap up the regular season.

Nicholls Head Coach J.P. Piper Postgame Quotes:

Nicholls Forward Anatoly Bose Postgame Quotes:

Nicholls Forward Elridge Moore Postgame Quotes: