Final Stats Nicholls-UTA Box Score

Arlington, Texas – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team found new life in the second half, but an 18-point deficit going into the break was too much to overcome and the Colonels dropped their second conference contest in a row 85-55 Saturday night to the UTA Mavericks in Arlington.

Trevon Lewis had his third double-double of the year, leading the team with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He was the only player for the Colonels (4-10, 0-2 SLC) to score in double figures, followed by Sam McBeath with nine. Lewis now has back-to-back double-double performances for the first time in his young career.

Every UTA (9-5, 2-0) player except for two scored no less than five points in the game including four players finishing in double-figures. LaMarcus Reed led the Mavs with 15 points on the night.

Already without Lachlan Prest for the night because of a knee injury, the team saw the return of Dantrell Thomas to the lineup for the first time since playing against Texas Dec. 13. Thomas made an impact scoring five points, but both he and McBeath fouled out of the game forcing the Colonels to play all of their reserves.

The Colonels rallied to score 32 points in the second half, but fell behind by as many as 36 points during the final period as the Mavs scored 41 points in the paint and turned 17 Nicholls turnovers into 21 points on the night.

Nicholls shot 33-percent on the night, hitting only five 3-pointers and going to the line 18 times, making ten. UTA went to the line eight more times and made 18 of their chances at the charity stripe, and hit seven 3-pointers. The Mavs shot 50-percent from the field on the night overall, making half of their shots in both periods.

Nicholls' inability to make shots, along with careless play with the ball put the Colonels in a deep hole heading into halftime down 45-23. The Mavs used full-court pressure to force the Colonels into 11 turnovers in the first half alone, resulting in 14 UTA points.

With the score 17-9, the Mavs went on a 10-2 run grow that expanding lead with a little more than half of the period remaining.

UTA made 16 shots in the half, including five 3-pointers in the game, while the Colonels only made ten for a 34-percent clip. Nine Mavericks scored in the period, including Reed and Brandon Edwards combining for 22 of UTA's 45 points.

McBeath hit all three of the Colonels' 3-point shots in the half for all nine of his points on the night, while Lewis chipped in eight of his total and took four charges.

The Colonels return to action Wednesday at home to take on the Northwestern State Demons at 6:30 p.m. in Stopher Gym.