Final Stats HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Hoping to run its record to 4-0 in the Southland Conference, The Nicholls State University men's basketball team was unable to use its hot start and keep pace with the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Saturday afternoon, falling 88-61 in Johnson Coliseum in Huntsville.

After digging themselves a deep hole by the end of the first half, the Colonels (6-7, 3-1 SLC) got into an even bigger one by the time the final 20 minutes started, as the Bearkats (11-5, 3-1) opened the second half on a 10-0 run and held Nicholls to just five points nearly midway through the period.

The Bearkats led by as many as 30 points in the second half, as Nicholls would not be able to rely on the suffocating defense that helped the squad jump out to its surprising league start, snapping the team's three-game winning streak in the process. The difference came from the reserves, as Sam Houston State got 50 points from its bench to Nicholls' 16

Dantrell Thomas led Nicholls with 14 points, five assists, three boards and two blocks, leading a trio of starters in double figures along with Shane Rillieux and his 13 and T.J. Carpenter's 11. Carpenter tied for the team lead in rebounding along with Pedro Maciel, pulling down five rebounds each. Luke Doyle exploded for eight points for Nicholls in 19 minutes of action, while Sam McBeath had six.

The Bearkats shot 60 percent in the second half alone, drilling 18 shots and taking just 10 free throws as they led by no less than 25 points for much of the second half. Sam Houston had 21 assists on 30 total made shots during the game, including hitting five of their team's seven 3-pointers in the second frame.

Nicholls had one more than Sam in the 3-point department, but struggled from the field as a whole going 11 for 30 after going 12 for 21 in the first. The team's struggles from the free throw line continued, finishing with a 47 percent clip from the charity stripe while SHSU was 21 for 30.

The Colonels started the game hot and looked like they were going to catch the Bearkats sleeping at home, shooting 57 percent from the field with five 3-pointers, but Sam Houston State goaded the Colonels into 14 fouls resulting in 16 made free throws to give the home side a 42-31 lead.

Nicholls went on an 8-0 run out of the chute, getting two three's from Thomas and a layup from Smith for a solid opening few minutes. Smith connected on a trey of his own to give the Colonels a 13-2 lead heading into the first media timeout. The two combined for 19 of Nicholls's first-half points, with Thomas earning 12 and Smith with seven.

Sam Houston State began to get hot from the field right after that big opening run for the Colonels, outscoring Nicholls 15-4 over the next four minutes to tie the game at 17-17, overcoming back-to-back 3-pointers from Shane Rillieux and Sam McBeath to earn nine of the next 17 points to take its first lead of the game at 26-25.

In the final six minutes of the half, the Bearkats hit seven shots and finished the period shooting 55 percent from the field, going 5-for-8 from the free throw line to close the half on a 16-6 run. 

The Colonels will be back in action on Thursday night, hosting the Houston Baptist Huskies at 7:30 p.m. in Thibodaux.