CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. –
Richie Riley's first career win was a big one. For the first time in program history, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team took down an ACC school as the Colonels never trailed in a 79-73 victory over Boston College on Friday night at the Conte Forum.
Graduate transfer
DeAndre Harris poured in 28 points in his first outing for the Colonels and his lay up through traffic with two minutes left in the game helped fend off a late surge by Boston College (0-1). The Colonels, who scored the game's first 12 points, led for the entire duration before the Eagles tied it up at 69 with 2:28 to go. Harris ran an isolation on the next play before scoring and added four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The victory was not only the Colonels' first over an ACC opponent, but it was the first win over a Power 5 school since their 62-53 triumph over LSU on Nov. 16, 2010.
Riley, a 33-year old native of London, Ky., took over the program this season after serving as an assistant at Clemson for two years. The Tigers were 3-0 against Boston College during his tenure.
A transfer from North Texas, Harris led three Colonels in double figures, joined by seniors
Liam Thomas (14 points) and
Ja'Dante' Frye (11). Nicholls, which led by as much as 18 points in the first half, shot 49 percent from the field, but poor free throw shooting (14-25) allowed Boston College to stay in the game.
The Colonels opened up the contest with a 12-0 run and led 16-1 and 19-3 in the early going. The largest lead came at the 6:32 mark in the opening stanza after a lay up by Thomas made the score 35-17.
Nicholls led 42-33 at the break and by 14 in the second half before the Eagles used a 15-2 run to pull within one. But the Colonels answered right away as Harris found
Jahvaughn Powell for a 3-pointer on an inbounds play, which put the score at 69-65 with 3:37 on the clock. Jerome Robinson (14 points) tied the game at 69 with a jumper, but Nicholls never surrendered the lead.
Boston College shot 50 percent from the field and also struggled at the line, making 12-of-23. BC was led in scoring by Ty Graves with 15 points. Defensively, Thomas had three blocks for Nicholls and Harris added four steals.
The Colonels will head to Florida to take on UCF on Monday, Nov. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Season tickets are now available by logging on to geauxcolonels.com or by calling the Nicholls Ahtletics Ticket Office at 985-448-4790. The team will make its home debut on Thursday, Nov. 17 at noon against Mississippi College.
