THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team was unable to slow down Stephen F. Austin on Saturday as the Lumberjacks powered to their 22^nd consecutive Southland Conference victory, downing the Colonels, 88-53, at Stopher Gym.
 
Never letting up, SFA (20-5, 13-0 SLC) took three shots in the final three seconds, punctuated by a JaQuan Smith put-back dunk as time expired, to give the Lumberjacks a 35-point win.
 
Despite the lopsided outcome, the Colonels (7-20, 3-10 SLC) came to play early on. Nicholls hung with the Lumberjacks through the opening minutes, and after an Adam Ward dunk, trailed by just two points at the 11:22 mark. Stephen F. Austin outscored the Colonels, 36-15 over the remainder of the half and took a commanding 48-25 lead into the break.
 
Nicholls traded baskets with the Lumberjacks through the first eight minutes of the second period, and with 11:44 left in the game, SFA held a 62-42 advantage. The Colonels continued to fight, and after an 8-0 Nicholls run, Stephen F. Austin was forced to call a timeout. The Lumberjacks responded in a big way, outscoring Nichols, 20-3, over the final 5:49.
 
Ward led the Colonels in points (13) and blocks (three), while adding four rebounds and three steals. Liam Thomas grabbed a team-high six boards, while contributing six points, two steals and a block in the loss. Tre O'Neal paced the squad with four assists, while Johnathan Bell earned four steals to lead Nicholls. T.J. Carpenter was second on the team in scoring, with 12 points on the night.
 
Four players registered double-figures for SFA, led by Clide Geffrard. Thomas Walkup posted a double-double, with 10 rebounds and 10 points. Walkup also added six assists, five steals and three blocks to fill the stat sheet.
 
Nicholls will next make the arduous drive to Natchitoches for a battle against a formidable Northwestern State squad at 8 p.m. on Monday.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.