BEAUMONT, Texas – The New Year signals a clean slate for the Nicholls State University men's basketball team and the beginning of a new chapter in the season as the squad enters its Southland Conference schedule with a battle against Lamar University at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Beaumont, Texas.
The Colonels (3-7) have had peaks and valleys through their ten non-conference games, challenging some of the top collegiate programs including North Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest, No. 19 Michigan, No. 5 Wisconsin and Louisiana Tech. Nicholls also faced Division II schools in Spring Hill College and the University of Arkansas-Monticello, along with NAIA opponent, Loyola New Orleans. The only matchup for Nicholls against an opponent on roughly the same collegiate level was a Dec. 21 battle with Troy University that resulted in a 65-64 loss for the Colonels on a buzzer-beater.
The non-conference schedule for Nicholls ended with the team going 0-6 on the road and 3-1 at home. The team shot 11.3 percent higher from the floor and 3.7 percent higher from beyond the arc in Stopher Gym. The Colonels earned a +10.3 scoring margin in Thibodaux, compared to a -28.5 scoring margin on the road. At home, Nicholls recorded a +10.8 rebounding margin, compared to -10.5 elsewhere.
After facing varying levels of competition and a grueling road schedule with a team comprised of mostly newcomers, non-conference play has done little to reveal how the Colonels will fare against conference opponents. The young team will undoubtedly have room to improve throughout the season as players build chemistry on the court, but Saturday's matchup with the Cardinals (6-6) will be the first true test of the 2014-15 squad.
Lamar had a rough start its season, splitting its first 12 games, but is on a four-game win streak entering Saturday's contest. The Cardinals own the all-time series with Nicholls 22-10, but the Colonels grabbed a 64-60 victory in the most recent meeting between the programs on Jan. 9, last season. Lamar will look to avenge last year's loss and earn a fifth consecutive win for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Nicholls will seek to enter 2015 on the right foot and open the conference season with a victory.
Amin Torres, who made his first start against Spring Hill on Tuesday, leads the Colonels' offensive attack with 13.1 points per game.
Sam McBeath paces the squad with 6.9 rebounds per game and
Liam Thomas has a 1.6 blocks per game average after earning a career-high six blocks in his last outing.
Richie Lewis averages 2.4 assists and 2.4 steals, both team-highs.
Tyran de Lattibeaudiere is the facilitator for the Cardinals, leading the team in points (15.7), rebounds (8.0), steals (1.75) and blocks (1.6). Anthony Holliday averages 3.0 assists per game to lead the squad.
Nicholls will battle Lamar before traveling to Abilene, Texas for a matchup with Abilene Christian at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10. Both games will be broadcast live on KQKI 95.3 FM.
Visit geauxcolonels.com for live stats and the most up-to-date information on Nicholls men's basketball.
