CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – After a tough loss to the top team in the Southland Conference on Wednesday, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team will battle another formidable conference foe as the Red and Gray travel southwest for a matchup with a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi squad that is undefeated in conference play. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday.
 
The Colonels (5-12, 1-2 SLC) closed out Wednesday's ballgame against Houston Baptist with a furious 12-3 run, and hope to bring the same kind of energy against the Islanders (12-3, 3-0 SLC) at the American Bank Center.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi hasn't lost at home in 395 days, including a 6-0 record at home this season. The Islanders enter Saturday's matchup riding a five-game win streak overall, and are coming off of a 91-82 road victory against Lamar on Monday.
 
Nicholls holds an 8-7 advantage against TAMUCC in the all-time series, but the Islanders have bested the Colonels in four consecutive meetings. Most recently, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi earned a narrow 69-66 win over Nicholls on Jan. 17, last season in Thibodaux.
 
The Colonels average 65.7 points and surrender 79.5. Nicholls shoots 39.0% from the floor and 28.9% from three-point range, while allowing 47.7% and 31.3% respectively. The Colonels have a -9.5 rebounding margin and -0.9 turnover margin on the year.
 
The Islanders average 74.3 points and hold opponents to just 69.3. TAMUCC has taken its offensive output to another level in league play, averaging 87.3 points per game. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shoots 42.7% from the field and 34.0% from beyond the arc, while holding opponents to 39.7% and 32.9% respectively. Against conference opponents, the Islanders are shooting an outstanding 47.8% from the floor and 44.3% from three-point land. TAMUCC has a -2.1 rebounding margin and a +3.0 turnover margin this season.
 
Ja'Dante' Frye leads Nicholls in average points (15.8), boards (5.5) and steals (1.2). T.J. Carpenter averages a team-leading 2.6 assists, and is second on the team in average points (12.1) and rebounds (5.2). Liam Thomas has been a dominant force in the paint, averaging 1.6 blocks per game. Thomas is also third in scoring average (7.2) and boards per contest (3.9).
 
Rashawn Thomas spearheads Islanders' attack with 17.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Hameed Ali dishes out 5.2 assists and grabs 2.6 steals per contest, both team-highs.
 
The Colonels next face undefeated Sam Houston at 6:30 p.m. on Monday in Huntsville.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.