THIBODAUX, La. – On Feb. 5, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team was on the wrong side of history, sitting at last place in the Southland Conference and riding the program's worst SLC losing streak since 2007. Even more troubling, the Colonels appeared to have lost all confidence. On Feb. 6, an entirely different team stepped onto the court of Stopher Gym, earning a dominant victory over in-state rival McNeese. On Feb. 8, Nicholls proved its victory over the Cowboys was no fluke, by picking up a decisive 71-60 win against Incarnate Word, one of the premier teams in the league.
 
The Colonels (7-18, 3-8 SLC) led by as many as 21 points on Monday, behind an efficient offense and intimidating defense. Nicholls finished the game with only four blocks, but Liam Thomas and Adam Ward, along with a cast of other Colonels, altered upwards of 30 shots on the night.
 
Nicholls lived and mostly died behind the three-point line for the first 23 games of the season, but the Colonels have undergone a remarkable transformation over their last two contests. Nicholls has completely bought in to an inside-out offensive mentality, and that change directly resulted in an imposing 32-12 edge on points in the paint against the Cardinals (12-9, 7-3 SLC).
 
The new offensive scheme also led to solid looks from the outside. As Incarnate Word collapsed to cover the Colonels in the paint, Nicholls found more space for its outside shooters. The Colonels connected on 62.5% of their shots from three-point range in the first half, and finished the night shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc.
 
Nicholls earned more fast-break points (4-0), steals (6-3), blocks (4-3) and assists (11-10), while committing five fewer turnovers than the Cardinals. The Colonels also converted their turnover margin into a 17-9 advantage on points off turnovers.
 
T.J. Carpenter led the way for Nicholls with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, and added four boards, three assists and two steals. L. Thomas was a workhorse for the Colonels, earning team-highs in assists (four), blocks (two) and steals (two), while narrowly missing a double-double, with 10 points and nine rebounds. Johnathan Bell contributed nine points and five boards, while Ward totaled eight points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks. Schane Rillieux registered seven points and three boards, while Quinton Thomas chipped in five points, two rebounds and two assists. Luka Kamber and Kyle Caudill added six and four points respectively. Ja'Dante' Frye grabbed four boards, scored three points and secured two steals, while playing stifling defense.
 
Shawn Johnson led Incarnate Word with 17 points, while Kyle Hittle had team-highs in both rebounds (eight) and assists (three).
 
The Colonels will look for their first road victory of the season as they make the short drive to Hammond for a matchup with Southeastern La. at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Nicholls will then have a week to prepare for a battle against conference-leading Stephen F. Austin at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Nicholls basketball, visit geauxcolonels.com.