HOUSTON, Texas – The Nicholls State University basketball team held the top-scoring program in the American Athletic Conference under its season average, but Houston pulled away for a 76-49 victory on Monday afternoon in Hofheinz Pavilion.
 
Five minutes into the ballgame, the Colonels (4-9) trailed the Cougars (10-2), 10-3. Nicholls scored five straight points to pull within a possession, but Houston responded with a 12-0 run to take a 14-point lead. The Cougars held a 26-10 advantage at the 5:14 mark, before the Colonels closed out the frame on a 10-5 run. Nicholls forced a shot clock violation on Houston's final possession of the half, and Tre O'Neal took the ball coast-to-coast for a buzzer-beating floater to end the period.
 
The Cougars took a 31-20 lead into the break.
 
Houston quickly took the momentum back with a 9-0 run to open the second half. Quinton Thomas provided a huge spark for the Colonels off the bench with 15 points, three rebounds and a steal in just 22 minutes, but the Cougars continued to pull away.
 
After a T.J. Carpenter shooting foul, both Carpenter and Head Coach J.P. Piper were awarded technical fouls, resulting in six straight free throws for Houston. The Cougars knocked down all six attempts to take a commanding 51-20 advantage at the 14:41 mark, and cruised over the final minutes.
 
Nicholls shot 28.1% from the floor and 19.2% from beyond the arc in the game. The Colonels held Houston to 17.4% shooting from three-point range, but the Cougars hit 45.5% of their shots from the field. Houston won the battle of the boards, 53-28, including an 18-8 advantage on offensive rebounds. The Cougars finished with an edge on assists (15-7) and blocks (11-3), while Nicholls won the turnover battle.
 
Quinton Thomas' 15 points were a season-high. After being named the Southland Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, Ja'Dante' Frye turned in nine points, five boards, a block and a steal. Liam Thomas contributed nine points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal, while Schane Rillieux finished with a team-high four assists. Adam Ward, a Houston native, finished with career-highs in both points (seven) and boards (seven). O'Neal registered a career-high four steals on the day.
 
Devonta Pollard (18 points), Damyean Dotson (eight rebounds) and Galen Robinson Jr. (10 assists) led Houston.
 
Nicholls will open league play against Lamar on Jan. 2. The Colonels play their final non-conference game at Memphis on Jan. 5.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.