THIBODAUX, La. – Facing a trap game against the talented Division III Wildcats of Louisiana College, the Nicholls State University basketball team took care of business, securing an early lead and cruising to an 80-62 victory in Stopher Gym.
 
The Colonels (2-3) opened Tuesday night's action with a dunk by Liam Thomas, and quickly pushed their advantage to 9-3, after a Ja'Dante' Frye layup at the 16:58 mark. Three minutes later, a Frye triple gave Nicholls a 10-point advantage, but Louisiana College (1-4) scored on consecutive trips to cut the lead to six. The Colonels quickly responded, pushing their advantage back to double digits, and with 3:21 remaining in the half, a T.J. Carpenter jumper put Nicholls up, 32-19. Despite a strong push by the Wildcats, the Colonels took a 36-27 advantage into the break.
 
Louisiana College came out aggressive in the second period, using back-to-back fast break layups to pull within five. Nicholls punched back with a 12-0 run to secure a 50-33 lead at the 14:39 mark. The Colonel advantage continued to grow, and reached 25 points with just under nine minutes remaining.
 
Nicholls started slow, shooting just 39.4% from the floor and 20% from three-point range in the first half, but the Colonels got hot in the second, shooting 56% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Nicholls held the Wildcats to 39.3% shooting on the night, including just 6.7% (1-of-15) from three-point land.
 
The Colonels finished the game with a 42-37 advantage on the boards, and earned 17 assists, while committing only 14 turnovers. In contrast, Louisiana College ceded 20 turnovers, with only nine assists. Nicholls earned a 22-13 edge on points off turnovers, a 9-3 advantage on second chance points and a 42-36 edge on points in the paint. The Colonels also totaled a season-high seven blocks in the win.
 
Frye finished the night with 24 points to lead Nicholls offensively. Carpenter grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and added 10 points. Tre O'Neal and Schane Rillieux each tossed three assists, while five other Colonels dished out two assists apiece. Liam Thomas contributed 12 points and five boards, while Johnathan Bell turned in a seven-point, seven-rebound night, with a team-leading three blocks.
 
Kevin Lewis led the Wildcats with 17 points and four assists, while Steve Evans grabbed seven boards.
 
Nicholls will host Loyola at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, before heading to California for a date with San Diego St. at 9 p.m. central time on Thursday, Dec. 10.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.