HOUSTON, Texas -- Buoyed by a pair of 20-point performances from Ty Gordon and Andre Jones, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (7-5, 5-1 SLC) decisively collected yet-another Southland Conference victory -- the team's fifth-straight now -- at HBU (2-11, 1-4 SLC), ousting the host Huskies, 92-83, to close out a three-game road stretch Wednesday evening at Sharp Gym.

Following a first half that saw 15 lead changes and four ties in a back-and-forth scramble, Gordon opted to close the door on HBU early, dropping 18 of his season-high 27 points in the second period as the Colonels never surrendered their seven-point advantage from the midway point. Similarly, Jones contributed 13 of his season-best 23 points in the second half as well, guiding the Red & Gray as they surged to a 22-point edge with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation.

KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- For the night, Nicholls finished shooting 58.3 percent (35-of-60) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from long range and 71.4 percent (15-of-21) at the free throw line.
-- Notably, the Colonels put on a shooting clinic in the team's best offensive outing of the year, securing season-highs in both overall percentage (58.3 percent) and field goals made (35).
-- Gordon, who continues to elevate the Nicholls backcourt with his dynamic approach to game management, exploded behind a 10-of-15 overall shooting performance along with a career-best 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. In addition to the game-high 27 points -- one shy of tying his career-best -- the redshirt junior grabbed five boards and dished out four assists.
-- Meanwhile, Jones composed a much-more balanced showing coming off the bench, notching 10 points in the opening period before dropping 13 to wrap up the win. The redshirt senior continued his stellar play in Southland competition as the Arkansas native logged his sixth consecutive double-digit performance, finishing the game with five rebounds, three assists and a trio of steals.
-- Of specific note, the Gordon-Jones duo serves as the first pair of 20-point performances for the program in almost exactly a year, as Elvis Harvey Jr. and Andre Jones posted 24 and 20 points, respectively, in a home victory over Central Arkansas on Jan. 18, 2020.
-- Redshirt junior Najee Garvin (15 points) along with senior Kevin Johnson (11 points) rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Red & Gray, combining on the night for six steals as well.
-- Along that same thread, freshman Pierce Spencer unlocked his pickpocket skill and proceeded to make consistent use of it, swiping six steals in his first return to the Houston area since high school. The Porter, Texas native also clinched his first-ever collegiate start as he registered six points, four boards and three assists as well.

UP NEXT
With the three-game road swing concluded, the Colonels return to Thibodaux looking to keep their conference win streak alive, squaring off against in-state rival New Orleans on Saturday, Jan. 23 before hosting McNeese next Wednesday, Jan. 27.

STAY SOCIAL
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