THIBODAUX, La. – The defensive prowess of the Nicholls State University men's basketball team will be put to the test against the highest scoring offense in the Southland Conference, Incarnate Word University, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Stopher Gym.
 
The Colonels (5-12, 2-5 SLC) will look to rebound after a difficult outing against the league's second-ranked scoring offense, Northwestern State. The Cardinals (11-5, 3-3 SLC) have won three of their last four outings, and are coming off of an 86-84 victory over McNeese State on Monday.
 
Last season Nicholls and Incarnate Word met for the first time in program history on March 1, with the Cardinals taking a 69-67 victory over the Colonels in Thibodaux.
 
Incarnate Word is averaging a league-leading 85.4 points per game, leads the conference in field goal percentage (48.0) and is second in the Southland in three-point percentage (37.0), while Nicholls has held its opponents to an average of just 73.4 points per game. Something will have to give on Saturday.
 
On the opposite end of the court, the Colonels have struggled mightily to score all season long, but are facing the Cardinals' 11^th-ranked scoring defense. Nicholls has averaged just 61.6 points this season, while Incarnate Word has surrendered an average of 78.2. The Colonels will look to take advantage of a porous Cardinal defense while keeping Incarnate Word's powerful offense in check.
 
T.J. Carpenter leads Nicholls with team-highs in points (10 per game) and assists (2.3 per game). Sam McBeath paces the squad with 6.3 rebounds per contest, while Richie Lewis grabs 1.9 steals and Liam Thomas swats 1.8 shots per game.
 
Denzel Livingston leads the offensive attack for the Cardinals, averaging 22.8 points as the top-ranked scorer in the Southland. Livingston is also second on the team in assists (3.3 per contest) and rebounds (6.3 boards per game). Kyle Hittle paces the squad with 6.6 rebounds per game and is third on the team in scoring, with a 14.9 points-per-game average. Mitchell Badillo tosses a team-leading 4.9 assists per contest.
 
The Colonels host Incarnate Word on Saturday, before taking on New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in Stopher Gym for the team's annual Stuff Stopher game. Both matchups 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.