THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team returns to the court on Saturday afternoon, hosting the Loyola Wolf Pack at 3:30 p.m. in Stopher Gym in Thibodaux.
 
It has been over a week since the Colonels last took to the floor, as the team's game on Saturday will be the last one for another week as the University began final exams on Thursday, which will end next week before the group hits the road for its final non-conference games of the season before league play in early January.
 
Nicholls finally got one in the win column as they withstood a furious rally to defeat the UTSA Roadrunners 79-73 on Nov. 26 in the squad's home opener. The team had four players score in double figures and shot 56 percent from the field with 10 3-pointers, to hold off UTSA late to win, snapping its four-game losing streak to open the season..
 
UTSA suffered its first loss to Nicholls since 2011, as the Colonels have won each of the last two meetings against the Roadrunners in Thibodaux.
 
Nicholls had four players score in double figures, led by Dantrell Thomas' game-high 18 points. Thomas had a banner night as he came close to earning a triple double after grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out nine assists in the win. The nine assists ties his career high, as Nicholls' leading scorer is sixth in the Southland in field goal percentage with a 54 percent clip.
 
Although Thomas has led the team in scoring in three of the group's five games, fellow senior Jeremy Smith is also having his best season as he has scored in double-digits in each of the last three contests. Smith is averaging a career-high 12.4 points per game and hitting 50 percent of his shots from the floor which is right around his career average. He had 15 against the Roadrunners and has made six shots from the field in each of the last three.
 
The Colonels got the jumpstart it needed from T.J. Carpenter, who scored all nine of the team's points to open the game on consecutive 3-pointers as he and Amin Torres finished with 11 points each. Torres led the bench in scoring in his first double-digit scoring output of the season last week, combining with Carpenter to have six of the Colonels' 10 3-pointers.
 
Nicholls will welcome a talented Loyola Wolf Pack squad that is 3-5 on the season and 2-2 in the Southern States Athletic Conference of the NAIA. This will be the last exhibition for the visitors against NCAA Division I competition for the rest of the season, as Loyola has already played Tulane and UTEP already this year.
 
Loyola is led by junior forward McCall Tomeny, who nearly averages a double-double with 20 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. As a group, Loyola is averaging 64.6 points per game, while holding its opposition to 38 percent shooting from the floor and is 13^th in Division I of the NAIA.  
 
 
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
TV: None
Radio: KLRZ 100.3 FM, KLEB 1600 AM
Broadcast Team: Mike Wagenheim (play-by-play)
Live Stats: www.GeauxColonels.com