THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team grabbed an early lead on Saturday and pulled away in the second half, earning an 89-60 victory over Loyola University New Orleans.
 
The Colonels (1-4) earned their first regular season victory after going 0-4 against arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation.
 
Nicholls and Loyola were neck-and-neck through the opening minutes of the ballgame. The Wolf Pack led by two points before the Colonels responded to take a 14-9 lead. With eight minutes remaining in the first period, Nate Pierre hit a layup to pull Loyola within two, but the Wolf Pack would come no closer for the rest of the night. Over the next eight minutes, Nicholls outscored Loyola 18-7, taking a 36-23 lead into the break.
 
The Colonels shot 53.3 percent from the field in the first half, while holding the Wolf Pack to 27.6 percent. T.J. Carpenter had 12 points to lead Nicholls at intermission.
 
In the second period the Colonels shot exceptionally well collectively, hitting 55.6 percent from the floor, 46.2 percent from behind the arc and 77.8 percent at the free throw line. The Wolf Pack showed improvement offensively in the second half, but the game was long out of reach.
 
Nicholls finished the contest with four players scoring in double-figure points for the first time this season. Sam McBeath led the way with 13 points and 10 rebounds, recording the first double-double of the year for the Colonels. Amin Torres finished with a team-high 15 points, while Carpenter and Ja'Dante' Frye added 13 and 12 respectively. Richie Lewis paced the squad with five assists, while McBeath contributed four on the night. Liam Thomas led the team with two blocks and added eight points and five rebounds to fill the stat sheet.
 
Daniel Kuhl spearheaded the offensive efforts for Loyola, scoring 17 points, while Nick Parker finished with 11. Nate Pierre had team-highs in both rebounds (six) and blocks (two). Five Wolf Pack players contributed an assist.
 
Nicholls finished ahead of Loyola in almost every statistical battle. The Colonels had a 56-28 advantage in points in the paint, a 10-6 advantage in points off turnovers, a 20-12 advantage in second chance points, a 6-2 advantage in fast break points and a 37-29 advantage in points off the bench. Nicholls also had 18 assists compared to just five for the Wolf Pack, and won the battle of the boards 47-30.
 
Nicholls will next fly to Madison for a matchup against No. 2 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, before returning home to face Arkansas-Monticello on Dec. 16.
 
Saturday's contest will be broadcast live on KQKI 95.3 FM and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.
 
Visit geauxcolonels.com for live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls men's basketball.