THIBODAUX, La. – After running through a gauntlet of games last weekend, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team takes its 2-1 Southland Conference mark to the University Center in Hammond to take on the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

The game will be available for fans with a subscription to Colonels All-Access, with video provided by Southeastern Louisiana athletics.
 
The Colonels, winners of two of their last three, will take on a Lion team that is also 2-1 in league play so far this season as Nicholls is 3-10 on the season while Southeastern La. is 4-9. Both teams earned wins over Central Arkansas over the weekend, as the Colonels escaped with a 64-63 win over McNeese State on the road on Monday, while Southeastern defeated Lamar in Beaumont 67-63.
 
For the first time since the 2009-10 season, the Colonels have started the Southland campaign 2-1, and with a win over the Lions on Saturday, Nicholls will be 3-1 for the first time since that same season. The win over McNeese State on Monday was the first road win of the season for the team, and the squad will look to improve that record over the next two weeks as they play the final three games of a four-game road trip at Southeastern, Northwestern State and Stephen F. Austin.
 
Since the return of Dantrell Thomas to the lineup, the junior is averaging the highest point total of his career with a 14.3 average overall and 15 ppg average during conference play. He scored 13 first-half points en route to a career-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, leading the team in scoring in three of the last four games. It was the sixth game of his career with 20 or more points in a contest, as he defensively blocked two shots for the second consecutive game and grabbed six boards.
 
With the game coming down to its final possessions, the Colonels also got a monster night from Fred Hunter, who helped preserve the win with some key rebounds late in the second period. Hunter finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, tying a career high in boards as he secured his third double-double of the year and fifth of his career. The senior has led the team in rebounding in nine games this season, while scoring in double figures in eight contests on the year.
 
If Hunter continues to hover at 7.3 rebounds per game, he'll be the first player since Stefan Blaszczinski in the 2006-07 season to average at least seven over the course of a season.
 
As a team, the Colonels were outshot by their opponent for the seventh-straight game, but did convert 16-of-23 free throw attempts on the night and finally outrebounded an opponent with a 41-32 edge on the glass. 17 of those were on the offensive side, as Nicholls got six points in second chance opportunities.
 
The Lions have played a tough non-conference schedule as the Colonels have, playing the likes of Florida, Marquette, New Mexico State and Florida all on the road. The win over the Cardinals was the teams' first away from Hammond, while at home Southeastern La. is 3-2 after playing Louisiana College, Southeast Missouri and Spring Hill in non-conference.
 
The Lions are led by fifth-year guard Brandon Fortenberry, who only played in seven games last year after requiring foot surgery that kept him out for the rest of the season. He's started all 13 games for Southeastern, averaging 12.8 points in 34.7 minutes per game. Roosevelt Johnson is second on the team in scoring with 11.1 points per game, leading the squad in rebounding averaging over 7.7 per outing.
 
The radio broadcast of the game will begin with the Colonel Countdown pregame show, beginning 15 minutes prior to the start of the contest.
 
 
TV: None
Radio: 100.3 FM KLRZ (Larose, La); 1600 KLEB (Golden Meadow, La.)
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play-by-play)
Colonels on the Internet: www.klrzfm.com
Internet Stream: Colonels All-Access - www.geauxcolonels.com/showcase
Live Stats: www.lionsports.net