HAMMOND, La. – Riding consecutive wins for just the second time this season, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team will look to finish strong and secure favored seeding at the Southland Conference Tournament as they face Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Hammond.
 
A young squad with no seniors and seven newcomers, the 2014-15 Colonels (9-18, 6-11 SLC) appear to be peaking at the right time, putting together two of their best offensive performances of the year against New Orleans and Central Arkansas consecutively. If Nicholls can overcome an absurd number of injuries to key players, the team will be a dangerous competitor in Katy, Texas.
 
The Lions (9-21, 6-11 SLC) were in the middle of the pack earlier this season, but have lost four straight contests and plummeted in the standings. A win for the Colonels on Saturday would secure the sixth seed heading into the tournament.
 
Southeastern La. owns the all-time series against Nicholls, 51-42, and the Lions defeated the Colonels 65-59, in their most recent meeting on Feb. 14 in Thibodaux.
 
Nicholls is averaging 64.3 points and surrendering 72.8 points per game. The Colonels are shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 29.5 percent from three-point range, while allowing 43.6 percent and 35.7 percent respectively. Nicholls has a -1.9 rebounding margin and -2.6 turnover margin on the year.
 
Despite less-than-impressive statistics offensively, the Colonels may be heating up at the right time. Over the last two contests, Nicholls has scored 83 points per game, nearly 20 higher than its season average. The Colonels shot 51.6 percent from the floor, 48.6 percent from beyond the arc and secured a +8.5 scoring margin over that stretch. Ja'Dante' Frye averaged a team-leading 19.5 points over the last two games. Frye, along with T.J. Carpenter, Sam McBeath and Liam Thomas, all scored higher than their averages for the year against New Orleans and Central Arkansas. The squad will look to sustain that level of offensive production against the Lions in Hammond.
 
Carpenter has been the key for Nicholls, averaging 11 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season. McBeath paces the Colonels with 6.5 rebounds, while Richie Lewis averages a team-leading 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Thomas blocks an average of 1.7 shots per game and shoots a team-best 57.9 percent from the floor.
 
Zay Jackson spearheads the Southeastern La. offense, averaging 15.4 points and 4.6 assists, both team-highs. DeVonte Upson leads the Lions on the defensive end, blocking 47 shots for the Lions and averaging 7.2 boards per game.
 
Nicholls will travel to Hammond for the regular-season finale against Southeastern Louisiana, before heading to Katy for the Southland Conference Tournament. Saturday's game 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.