THIBODAUX, La. -- With an 11-day Holiday Break firmly in the rearview mirror, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (8-6, 2-1 Southland) efficiently took care of business in the team's official return to the hardwood Thursday evening, plowing past league foe UIW (3-10, 0-2 Southland) behind a masterful second half performance -- outscored the Cardinals by 18 points -- in an eventual 76-60 victory at Stopher Gym.

Despite a lackluster first half showing ending with a two-point deficit, the Colonels left the locker room visibly energized, finishing the night by more than doubling their score at the break (51 second half points following 25 in the first); notably, the Red & Gray improved their overall shooting from 36.0 percent (9-of-25) in the opening period to a solid 50.0 percent (17-of-34) in the second half, even earning a major bump from beyond the arc as well (12.5 percent, 1-of-8, in the first versus 50 percent, 7-of-14, in the second).

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- For the game, Nicholls finished shooting 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the floor, 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from long range and 94.1 percent (16-of-17) at the free throw line.
-- Individually, senior Elvis Harvey Jr. put together a complete performance, dropping a career-high 19 points while notching team-highs in both rebounds (eight) and steals (three).
-- Redshirt senior Dexter McClanahan broke the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this season, pacing the Colonels behind a 21-point showing. The Georgia native came alive in the second half, draining three of his four three-pointers and collecting 16 total points.
-- Meanwhile, junior Kevin Johnson and sophomore Warith Alatishe composed the Red & Gray's two other double-digit showings, combining on the night for 25 points with the former leading the team behind four assists.
-- Just three games into conference play, Nicholls has proven to be a highly-effective second half team, averaging a +12.4 margin over the final 20 minutes of action.

UP NEXT
With the short one-game home stand versus the Cardinals wrapped up, the Red & Gray shift focus to their first major road trip of league play, initially trekking west to Huntsville, Texas for a matchup against Sam Houston State on Saturday, Jan. 4 before facing off with Lamar on Wednesday, Jan. 8 and rival Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, Jan. 11.

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).