LAS CRUCES, N.M.  – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team will look to rebound from a setback on Sunday as the Colonels take on New Mexico State in the second game of the University of San Diego Classic at 8 p.m. Tuesday night at the Pan American Center.
 
The Colonels (2-2) picked up a road win at Boston College to start the season, but have since dropped their last two away from Thibodaux. Following a convincing 86-55 win over Mississippi College, Nicholls headed out west and came up short at San Diego, falling 81-72 in the opening game of the classic.
 
Senior guard Johnathan Bell led the Colonels last week with a pair of double-doubles, averaging 14.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the three games. For the season, Bell is second on the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game, trailing DeAndre Harris who is scoring 16.5 points off the bench. Ja'Dante' Frye is also scoring in double figures at 11.3, and Jahvaughn Powell's five 3-pointer night at San Diego put him at 9.8 points.
 
Nicholls has relied heavily on the 3-ball so far this season, ranking at a tie for 12th in the NCAA with 29 attempts per contest. Powell leads the team at 11-of-19 (.542) from behind the arc and Lafayette Rutledge is 9-of-22 (.409), but the rest of the team is shooting just 25 percent.
 
New Mexico State heads into the matchup with a 3-2 record after defeating Bethune Cookman, 89-73, on Sunday. A massive 34-8 run gave the Aggies the lead before halftime en route to the 16-point victory.
 
Sidy N'Dir paces the offense with 14.6 points per game, helped by a 26-point night in the last outing. Ian Baker is second in scoring at 13.0 ppg and Braxton Huggins is third with 11.0.
 
Following Tuesday's game, Nicholls will continue play in the USD Classic with two games in Birmingham, Ala. over the weekend. The Colonels take on Bethune-Cookman on Friday and will square off against Samford on Sunday.
 
For all the latest news about the Colonel men's basketball team, follow them on Twitter @Nicholls_MBB.