HAMMOND, La.  – Despite a one-point lead at the half, the road woes continued for the Nicholls State University men's basketball team as Southeastern Louisiana defeated the Colonels, 72-44, Wednesday night at the University Center.
 
With the loss, Nicholls dropped to 11-12 overall, 4-6 in the Southland and remain winless on the road in league play in five tries. The win improved Southeastern Louisiana's record to 13-10 and 6-4.
 
Senior Johnathan Bell led Nicholls with 12 points before fouling out and Jahvaughn Powell added 11 points. Liam Thomas, the nation's leading shot blocker, added five to his total to give him 89 as he surpassed his own single-season record of 85.
 
Nicholls led after a low-scoring affair in the first half, 26-25, but scored just 18 points after the break. Southeastern shot 50 percent in the second half and knocked down 8-of-14 3-pointers. SLU had 11 3-pointers for the game, compared to a rough night for the Colonels, who made 4-of-25 from long range.
 
With the Colonels shooting just 30 percent from the field, SLU dominated on the glass with a 49-21 advantage. The Lions turned 18 offensive rebounds into a 24-0 edge in second-chance points.
 
Davon Hayes led SLU with a game-high 20 points.
 
The Colonels will head to New Orleans for their next contest, taking on the Privateers Saturday, Feb. 4. Tipoff at Lakefront Arena is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. and the game will stream live on ESPN3.