THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team held a lead in the second half, but was unable to match Northwestern State's energy over the final minutes, falling 79-57 on Monday night.
 
The Colonels (7-17, 4-10 SLC) had an eight-point advantage after a Sam McBeath layup six minutes into the second period, but were overcome by a machine-like Demon run over the next 14. Northwestern State (16-10, 11-4 SLC) closed the game on a 44-14 run en route to their fourth-consecutive win.
 
Nicholls shot 40.7 percent from the floor, 50 percent from three-point range and 66.7 percent at the free throw line in the first half, but fell apart after the break. In the second frame the Colonels shot just 34.6 percent from the floor, 12.5 percent from beyond the arc and an abysmal 35.7 percent from the charity strike. Nicholls committed 13 turnovers in the ballgame, resulting in 20 points for the Demons.
 
T.J. Carpenter led the Colonels with 19 points, while McBeath paced the squad with a career-high 14 rebounds. Ja'Dante' Frye dished out four assists and Liam Thomas blocked three shots, both team-highs.
 
Jalan West put on a show offensively, scoring 19 points and tossing nine assists to become the all-time career assist leader for Northwestern State. Zeek Woodley finished with a team-high 25 points, becoming the youngest player in Demon history to surpass 1000 career points. Tra'von Joseph grabbed nine boards to lead the team.
 
Nicholls will travel to Lake Charles for a 3 p.m. showdown with McNeese State on Saturday before heading to the Big Easy for a 7 p.m. showdown with New Orleans on Monday. 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.