Final Stats Thibodaux, La. – Looking to defeat the McNeese State Cowboys for the first time since the 2009-10 season, the Nicholls men's basketball team had its chances with nine ties and 12 lead changes throughout the duration of the game. But McNeese closed out the game making only four free throws while holding the Colonels scoreless over the last 1:20 to defeat Nicholls 60-56 in Stopher Gym Wednesday night.

Neither the Colonels (5-14, 1-6 SLC) nor Cowboys (8-10, 4-2) went to the charity stripe in the first half, but with the game being as close as it was in the second, both teams combined to go to the line 27 times making 19.

Trevon Lewis scored 16 points off of the bench and grabbed seven rebounds, followed by Sam McBeath who finished with 13 and Dantrell Thomas chipping in 11.

The largest lead by either team was seven points by McNeese with 11:59 left in the first period. The Colonels led by five with 5:43 left, but went into halftime down 31-28.

After twenty minutes of play, Lewis was the only player to score in double-figures with ten points on 5-of-9 shooting. Although the Cowboys got production from six players in the period, the Colonel defense held forward Patrick Richard to just two points, three nights removed from a 28-point performance in a loss to Northwestern State.

Up 50-46 with 7:01 left in the game, McNeese went on a 7-0 run to pull ahead by three points with 3:48 remaining. The Colonels closed the gap to just two points after a couple of free throws from McBeath made the score 53-52.

McNeese's last shot from the field for the game came at the 3:09 mark of the second half putting the Cowboys up 55-52. But the Colonels rallied keeping the game within reach after the Cowboys went 1-of-2 at the line for the first time all game, the Colonels used a Shane Rillieux steal and fast-break layup to tie the game 56-56.

Two free throws by Dontae Cannon put McNeese up 58-56 with 1:02 left in the game. An errant jumper by Nicholls, and subsequent made free throw after by the Cowboys had the Colonels down three with 32 seconds left. With time ticking away, Thomas drove hard to the basket for a layup that just rimmed out at the last second kept the Colonels at bay once again.

Another free throw by the Cowboys put the Colonels down four with 13 seconds left, and Rillieux's desperation three with the clock running out didn't fall as McNeese held the ball and ran out the clock.

McNeese made half of all of the shots they took during the game, getting five 3-pointers, while the Colonels shot 33-percent after making only seven shots in the second period alone.

The Colonels return hit the floor again on Saturday, traveling to Beaumont to take on the Lamar Cardinals at 2 p.m.