CONWAY, Ark. -- Riding a wave of momentum due to a three-game conference win streak, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (5-5, 3-1 SLC) looks to sustain the team's recent success on the hardwood heading into their roadtrip's midpoint at Central Arkansas (3-9, 2-2 SLC), challenging the Bears as the latter end of a doubleheader with women's basketball on Saturday, Jan. 16 in Conway, Ark., tip set approximately for 4 p.m.

WHAT: Nicholls at Central Arkansas | Game Notes
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 16 | 4 p.m.
WHERE: Farris Center | Conway, Ark.
MEDIA: Live Stats | Listen -- 100.3 FM ESPN New Orleans

Despite dropping the league opener to Sam Houston by a narrow three-point margin, the Colonels still have the opportunity to pursue last season's impressive start to Southland play, as the 2019-20 edition of the Red & Gray bolted out to a 5-1 mark and second place in the conference standings. In order to match that record, however, Nicholls would need to close out the three-game away stretch at UCA and HBU with a pair of victories, coincidentally the same feat last year's squad achieved in an early road sweep of Sam Houston, Lamar and rival Southeastern Louisiana.

Individually, the Colonels continue to rely on the efforts of redshirt junior transfers Ty Gordon and Najee Garvin, who currently combine for 27.4 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, as the former flirted with a triple-double in Wednesday's victory over Northwestern State while the latter has scored 17 points or more in each of the last three contests. Meanwhile, redshirt senior Andre Jones has quietly emerged as a reliable scorer out of the Red & Gray backcourt, recording four consecutive double-digit performances.

COMPLETE PROGRAM BREAKDOWN
Roster | Schedule | Quick Facts | Record Book

• Austin Claunch remains in his third season at the helm for the Red & Gray, sporting a 40-32 (25-17 SLC) overall record with the Colonels.
• The team boasts seven seniors: G Kevin Johnson, C Ryghe Lyons, G Jeremiah Buford, G Andre Jones, G Jaylen Fornes, F Damien Sears and G Shawn Williams.
• This year's roster is highlighted by 11 newcomers, including: six transfers from fellow Division I collegiate programs, two who joined the ranks via JUCO programs and another trio who signed on directly from high school. Of the six DI transfers, three -- redshirt senior G Jaylen Fornes (UNC-Wilmington) along with redshirt juniors G Isaac Johnson (Western Illinois) and F Najee Garvin (Charlotte) -- are of specific note, as each enter the season with one full year with the program after sitting out 2019-20 due to NCAA transfer restrictions.
• This season's depth chart features seven players from across the state of Louisiana, a pair from Little Rock, Ark., and one from each of the following: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Minnesota and Texas.
• The Colonels were projected to finish fourth in the Southland Conference, per the league's preseason poll. Notably, Nicholls had yet to notch a single-digit ranking since the 2014-15 poll, in which the Red & Gray pulled off an eighth-place finish.
• Nicholls returns two of last season's five starters: senior G Kevin Johnson and redshirt senior G Andre Jones.

After wrapping up the northern stretch of the three-game roadtrip at Central Arkansas, the Red & Gray close out the swing with a final matchup at HBU on Wednesday, Jan. 20, tipoff set for 7 p.m.

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