THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team will host in-state rival New Orleans at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, looking to snap a four-game skid and avenge a Feb. 1 loss against the Privateers.
The Colonels (7-22, 3-12 SLC) are coming off of a heartbreaking 71-69 overtime loss at McNeese on Saturday, and will need more than a little luck to sneak into the Southland Conference Tournament. Nicholls must win out and have New Orleans, McNeese, or Northwestern State lose their remaining games in order to reach the postseason.
The Privateers (9-17, 5-10 SLC) have lost two straight, and are coming off of an 87-84 loss at the hands of Abilene Christian on Saturday.
New Orleans owns a 16-8 edge in the all-time series against the Colonels. The Privateers earned a 74-53 victory when the programs met earlier this season on Feb. 1 in New Orleans.
In addition to being a matchup between in-state rivals, Monday's contest will feature a matchup between cousins –
Ja'Dante' Frye and Nate Frye. Over the 2014-15 campaign, the pair met twice during the regular season and again in the postseason, averaging nearly identical numbers. J. Frye averaged 14 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists, with two steals and one block. N. Frye averaged 13 points, 2.7 boards and 0.67 assists, with eight steals. J. Frye helped Nicholls sweep the regular-season series, while N. Frye led New Orleans to a conference tournament victory. N. Frye won this year's lone battle, scoring 11 points, with four rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal, and leading the Privateers to a decisive 21-point victory. J. Frye totaled just four points in the loss, with two boards and two blocks.
J. Frye leads the Colonels with 13.0 points per game this season, while
T.J. Carpenter grabs a team-leading 5.1 rebounds.
Schane Rillieux tosses 2.9 assists to pace the squad, and
Liam Thomas averages 2.2 blocks. L. Thomas set the single-season blocks record after a three-block performance against McNeese on Saturday. He now has 63 blocks on the year, surpassing Ron Smith, who totaled 61 blocks during the 1987-88 season. L. Thomas is also within reach of the career blocks record of 146, set by Cedric Robinson, who played for Nicholls from 1982 to 1986. L. Thomas needs just five more blocks to tie the career mark.
Christavious Gill leads New Orleans with 13.8 points per game, while averaging 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Erik Thomas averages a team-high 7.0 boards, and is second on the team in scoring, with 11.4 points per game. N. Frye leads the Privateers with 3.2 assists per contest, while averaging 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Following Monday's game, the Colonels will travel to Conway for a 7 p.m. date with Central Arkansas on Thursday.
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.
