DESTIN, Fla. – Graduate transfer
Gavin Peppers scored all 18 of his points after halftime, including the game-winning layup with 22 seconds to play, to spearhead the Nicholls State University men's basketball team to a 62-61 overtime triumph over Western Michigan University Saturday inside Raider Arena.
The win gave the Colonels (4-4) fifth place at the Emerald Coast Classic and pushed their record to 2-0 in neutral site games.
Peppers connected on 7-of-11 shots after an 0-for-4 first half which included three misses from beyond the arc. Nicholls shot 24 percent in its 19-point first period, the lowest output in a half since Feb. 1, 2017 at Southeastern Louisiana.
Peppers nailed back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half to cut the deficit to three at 30-27. The Broncos (4-3) responded with five points via a layup and triple from Adrian Martin. The Colonels responded with an 8-0 burst capped by a trey from junior
Danny Garrick to tie the game at 35.
Nicholls grabbed its first lead at 11:12 when senior
Daniel Regis converted a layup to make it 39-37. There were six lead changes from that point forward. Peppers netted an NBA-range trifecta with 2:23 to play to give the Colonels a 55-53 edge. Following two turnovers and two misses in the next four possessions, a layup from Josh Davis would tie the contest at 55 and eventually send it into overtime.
Nicholls never held the lead in the overtime period until Peppers' crafty layup with 22 seconds left. The Colonels forced two misses on the ensuing possession to seal the victory.
Garrick and junior
Elvis Harvey also finished in double figures with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Nicholls outscored the Broncos 24-7 in bench points. WMU received double-doubles from Seth Dugan (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Davis (10 points, 10 rebounds).
The Colonels will play in Stopher Gym Wednesday for the first time in 22 days, facing Spring Hill at 7 p.m.
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.
