Final Stats Texas State-Nicholls Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. – After taking care of business against the Islanders on Wednesday, the Nicholls men's basketball team did not crumble against the full-court press of Texas State Saturday afternoon, defeating the Bobcats 96-75.

Flanked by three other players in double figures, Trevon Lewis led the Colonels (7-15, 3-7 SLC) with 23 points, followed by Dantrell Thomas' 22, the second 20-point game for him this week.

After the back-and-forth affair that was the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi game from Wednesday, the Colonels only trailed by five points early in the contest, but turned on the jets offensively to lead by as many as 24, finishing the game shooting 61-percent from the floor and a blistering 40-percent from behind the 3-point line.

Shane Rillieux, who finished with 16 points on the night, was a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc as the Colonels hit nine 3-pointers in the game.

There were seven lead changes in the first ten minutes of the game, as the Bobcats were looking to use their full-court press to force the Colonels into turnovers leading to easy baskets. With the score 22-21 Texas State, Nicholls outscored the Bobcats 15-1 over the course of the next five minutes to take a 36-23 lead.

The Bobcats would close the gap to one late in the first period, but the Colonels rallied to go on a 6-0 run to close out the half and go into the break leading 42-35.

Nicholls opened the second half with a 10-1 run to go up by 16 points four minutes in, but the Nicholls lead and intensity in the half would only grow as a 21-13 run by the Colonels from the 16:50 mark to the 6:58 mark put the Bobcats in a 24 point hole. The Bobcats would not recover. Even with making seven 3-pointers in the half, the closest Texas State would get to the Colonels was 13 points. Nicholls capped the second half scoring 54 points in the period alone.

The Colonels dominated in nearly every facet of the game, getting 44 points in the paint, 29 points off of 18 Bobcat turnovers, 15 second-chance points, 12 fast break points and 38 points from the bench.

Nicholls outrebounded the Bobcats 34-25, pulling down eight offensive boards, three coming from Jeremy Smith.

Although many of the 12 Bobcat three's came in the second half, Texas State struggled at the line making only 13 free throws, while the Colonels took every advantage they could going 23-of-29 at the charity stripe for a 79-percent clip.

The 96 points the Colonels scored is the most this year by the team and the Colonels are 3-0 on the year when scoring 90 or more points.

The Colonels return to the court on Wednesday, traveling to face the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks.