MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica -- The Nicholls State University men's basketball program (2-4, 0-0 Southland) struggled to find any consistent offense in Friday morning's Jamaica Classic opener against North Carolina A&T (2-4, 0-0 MEAC), faltering by a final 12-point margin, 66-54, to the Aggies at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- Outside of a temporary lead gained in the first two minutes of play off a pair of free throws, the Colonels played from behind throughout the entire contest. Initially, the Red & Gray managed to match the Aggies point-for-point, never falling behind by more than nine in the first half and consistently battling back to within one or two possessions. Following the break, though, North Carolina A&T pushed the issue with an early run, extending the lead out into double digits before fending off any Colonel attempts at closing the gap in the final minutes of the matchup.
-- For the game, Nicholls finished shooting 29.5 percent (18-of-61) overall, 16.7 percent (4-of-24) from downtown and 70.0 percent (14-of-20) at the free throw line.
-- Senior Elvis Harvey Jr. along with junior Kevin Johnson paced the team on the scoreboard, posting a combined 28 points on the day. The former also grabbed a squad second-best six boards while the latter led the Red & Gray in assists for the fifth time this season, dishing out three on the day.
-- On the glass, sophomore Warith Alatishe pulled down seven rebounds, a team-high; meanwhile, senior Dexter McClanahan contributed a notable nine points, good for third on the squad.

UP NEXT
The Red & Gray wrap up the Jamaica Classic as well as a four-game roadtrip in Sunday evening's tournament finale, squaring off against UMBC at 8 p.m. CT at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Colonels Men's Basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@Nicholls_MBB), Instagram (@geauxcolonels) and like their Facebook page (Nicholls Athletics).