DESTIN, Fla. – Sophomore guard
Kevin Johnson tallied a career-high 20 points as the Nicholls State University men's basketball team topped North Carolina Central University, 77-63, Friday inside Raider Arena at the Emerald Coast Classic.
Junior
Danny Garrick became the fourth different Colonel (3-4) to hit a trey at the 12:37 mark when the Colonels took a 20-8 lead behind a 10-4 run. Johnson scored 12 first-half points and graduate transfer
Jeremiah Jefferson added 11 to give Nicholls a 37-31 advantage at the break.
An 11-4 run in the second half capped by a pull-up jumper from Johnson at 8:55 handed the Colonels their largest lead of the game at 16. The Eagles (1-5) would only get as close as nine the remainder of the game and even Raasean Davis' 13th career double-double (16 points, 16 rebounds) wasn't enough to best Nicholls.
The Colonels forced 15 NCCU turnovers, resulting in a 22-9 margin in points off turnovers. Nicholls recorded its best assist-to-turnover ratio (15:9) of the season. Jefferson chipped in a game-high 22 points while junior
Elvis Harvey (13) and senior
Daniel Regis (10) also contributed double figures.
The Colonels face Western Michigan Saturday in the fifth-place game at 12:30 p.m. to conclude a seven-game stretch away from Stopher Gym.
Get your season or single-game tickets now by calling
985-448-4790 or visiting
nichollstickets.com. For the latest news on Nicholls men's basketball, follow the team on Twitter
@Nicholls_MBB.
