Final Stats LAKE CHARLES, La. – Dantrell Thomas earned a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds and Jeremy Smith scored a career high 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting to help push the Nicholls State University men's basketball team past the McNeese State Cowboys in overtime, 87-79, Tuesday night at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Thomas, who celebrated his birthday earlier with the team, not only led all players in scoring, but also became the 24th Nicholls (8-8, 5-2 SLC) player in team history to score 1,000 points in a career as he was 26 points shy of the total coming into tonight's game. He tied his career high in points and rebounds, scoring 16 of his 27 in the second half and overtime period, while going 7-for-8 from the free throw line.

Smith made his first five shots from the field en route to a career best 25 points and four rebounds against the Cowboys (6-13, 4-3), as he was the main draw at the free throw line for the Colonels and accounted for 10 of Nicholls' 22 made free throws on the night. The redshirt senior captain had 13 points after the first 20 minutes of play, scoring the baskets when it counted most late down the stretch.

Another high-scoring half led to a big final minute in the second period, as the Colonels were trailing the Cowboys by two, down 72-70 after Kevin Hardy made one of two at the free throw line. With 20 ticks left in regulation, Smith drove to the hole and scored a tough runner in the lane to tie the game with less than 15 seconds remaining. McNeese State got off a final shot that rimmed out at the end to send the game into overtime.

That bucket by Smith at the end of the second ignited a big spark for Nicholls in the overtime session, as the Colonels forced a McNeese State timeout after going on a 7-0 run to take a 79-72 lead midway through the five minute period. The redshirt senior scored a layup after McBeath connected on his third 3-pointer of the game to give Nicholls a comfortable cushion heading into the final minute. Although McNeese was able to stay within a handful of points, Nicholls outscored the Cowboys 15-7 in overtime to never have the lead come in doubt.

Nicholls was able to do a few things it has not been able to do much of the season, namely taking more free throws than an opponent and outrebounding the opposition. The Colonels were 22-of-34 from the free throw line, while outrebounding McNeese State 41-37. The free throw shooting helped offset the three points from the entire bench on the night and 15 points off of 16 Nicholls turnovers.

The Colonels finished the night shooting 57 percent from the field and was 29-for-51 from the floor, including going 4-for-7 in overtime. Nicholls had four players in all score in double figures, as Shane Rillieux scored four of his 12 points in overtime, icing the game on two free throws to go along with his six rebounds and six assists. Sam McBeath was nearly perfect from the field and was perfect from distance, scoring 11 points with eight rebounds and going 3-for-3 from downtown. T.J. Carpenter finished with nine points and hit two 3-pointers with four rebounds.

A 74 percent shooting clip in the first half would not be enough to send the Colonels into the locker room with the lead, trailing the Cowboys 44-41 after making 14 of 19 shots in the first 20 minutes, powered by five 3-pointers and 18 points in the paint. Smith scored 13 and led all players at that point, hitting all four shots he took and having half of the team's eight made free throws in the period.

However, the Cowboys drilled five 3-pointers of their own and took 30 total shots in the first period, making 16. McNeese State forced Nicholls into 11 first-half turnovers, converting those miscues into 12 points, while keeping the Colonel bench scoreless while getting 20 on their end. Keelan Garrett scored 12 points to lead McNeese in 14 minutes off of the bench, as the Cowboys shot 53 percent to start. The Cowboys finished the game hitting 10 3-pointers to Nicholls' seven.

The Colonels went on an 18-9 run over the first 6:21 of the period, capped by a Smith 3-pointer to give Nicholls the nine-point lead, the largest for the team in the game up until that point. Smith had seven of those points during that stretch, hitting 3-of-4 3-pointers, with Carpenter having the other two. The Colonels passed the ball well among the starters, with Carpenter and McBeath each chipping in six points, while Rillieux had five.

After that lead, the Cowboys began to chip away slowly at the Nicholls advantage, pulling within three at 29-26 after outscoring Nicholls 17-11 over the course of six minutes, but Smith scored four consecutive points,  two from free throws and then on a tough layup to make it 33-26. McNeese then went on an 18-8 run, eventually breaking a 41-all tie with a Ledrick Eackles 3-pointer with 26 seconds left to give the Cowboys their first lead at 44-41.

Garrett led the Cowboys with 21 points for the home side, but fouled out late in the game earning 37 minutes of floor time. He led four players in double-digits for McNeese State, as Desharick Guidry earned a double-double with 14 points and game-high 14 rebounds in 45 minutes of action. The Cowboys pulled down 18 offensive boards, but only got 10 second chance points, while defensively getting carved up in the lane to the tune of 44 points in the paint for the Colonels.

Nicholls will be back in action in two weeks, taking on the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles on ESPN3. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN Pacific Rim.