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THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team will look to build off its best start in recent years as the Colonels open Southland Conference play against UIW at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 at Stopher Gym.
 
Nicholls (7-6), which played the sixth strongest nonconference schedule and leads the Southland with a 62 RPI, won seven games before conference play for the first time since 2008. The Colonels ended the nonconference with back-to-back home wins over Mobile and Spring Hill College. The Colonels are 4-0 at home this season, winning by an average of 26 points.
 
Graduate senior DeAndre Harris posted his best scoring effort of the young season with 35 points in the win over Spring Hill. Harris heads into conference play as the team's leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points. Ja'Dante Frye, who leads the team with 6.4 rebounds per game, is second in scoring at 15.2 points. Frye has scored in double figures in all but three games, with his season best of 33 points coming in the double overtime win at Samford.
 
Nicholls has averaged 76.4 points per contest, while surrendering 80.6. Defensively, Liam Thomas continues to be one of the nation's best at protecting the rim, ranking third with 3.69 blocks. At home, Thomas has blocked 19 shots in four games for a 4.8 average.
 
UIW (5-6) will be the first Division I opponent to face the Colonels in Stopher this season. The Cardinals had won three straight, defeating LIU Brooklyn, Texas Lutheran and Texas A&M-International, before dropping three in a row. Following a 28-point loss at UNLV, UIW fell in overtime to Loyola Marymount and was defeated 95-71 at Memphis.
 
Shawn Johnson is the top scorer for UIW, averaging 17.1 points per game. He has 28 3-pointers on the year, shooting at an impressive 48.3 percent clip. Simi Socks is second on the team in points at 14.3, followed by Jalin Hart with 13.4.
 
UIW has a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, but the Colonels picked up a win in the last matchup. After coming up short on the road in the first meeting last season, Nicholls defeated UIW, 71-60, on Feb. 8 in Thibodaux.
 
For all the latest news on Colonel men's, follow the team on Twitter @Nicholls_MBB.