HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Facing the top three programs in the Southland Conference on an eight-day Texas road swing, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team was unable to come away with a victory, closing out its trip with an 87-76 loss to Sam Houston on Monday night.
 
Johnathan Bell scored 18 of his career-high 27 points in the second period, and the Colonels (5-14, 1-4 SLC) played much better over the final 20 minutes, but Nicholls had no answers for the Bearkats (9-9, 5-1 SLC), who would not be denied on their home court.
 
Sam Houston outscored the Colonels, 22-7 on bench points, 38-26 on points in the paint, 14-6 on points off turnovers and 14-8 on second chance points. Nicholls was outrebounded, 38-28, and despite taking care of the ball, the Colonels finished with four more turnovers and six fewer assists than the Bearkats.
 
Both teams shot poorly from three-point range, but capitalized on free throw opportunities. Nicholls shot 28.0% from beyond the arc and 79.4% from the charity stripe, compared to 29.4% and 86.7% by Sam Houston. After shooting just 32.0% in the first half, the Colonels shot 50.0% from the floor in the second, and finished at 41.2% for the game. The Bearkats offense was steady throughout, shooting 46.7% in the first period and 48.3% in the second, resulting in 47.5% for the game.
 
In addition to his career-high in scoring, Bell finished with two boards and an assist. T.J. Carpenter narrowly missed a double-double, with 18 points and nine rebounds on the night. Schane Rillieux had a solid outing with nine points and a team-high eight boards. Liam Thomas and Ja'Dante' Frye were in foul trouble for most of the contest, but combined for 15 points and eight boards. Thomas also had two assists and paced the squad with three blocks.
 
Jamal Williams led the Sam Houston offense with team-highs in points (17) and assists (five). Torry Butler grabbed six rebounds to lead the Bearkats.
 
Nicholls will host Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Saturday live on ESPN3. The matchup will also air live on the primary ESPN channel in Australia and New Zealand as part ESPN International.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.