THIBODAUX, La. – An 11-0 run in the second half by visiting LSU was more than enough to pull away from the Nicholls State University men's basketball team, as the Colonels fell short in the first-ever meeting in Stopher Gymnasium against the Tigers, 74-62, Saturday afternoon in an exhibition game.
The contest was played with all proceeds from ticket and t-shirt sales going towards the Hurricane Ida recovery efforts. A crowd of 1,522 saw the in-state schools battle it out for 40 minutes.
Norfolk State transfer
Devante Carter led the Colonels in his debut, scoring 16 points on 6 of 13 from the field. Two others finished in double figures for the Red and Gray as
Ty Gordon and
Pierce Spencer each had 12 points. Spencer canned 4 of 9 from 3-point range but as a team, Nicholls made just 7 of 32.
LSU's Tari Eason had a double-double, leading all players with 22 points and 15 rebounds. LSU out-shot the Colonels from the field, 46 percent to 36 percent and had a plus-15 advantage on the boards.
The Tigers maintained the lead early on, seeing a 23-14 advantage midway through the opening half. Nicholls answered with a 10-2 run and eventually tied it at 26 on an
Emmanuel Little layup. The Colonels took the lead in the final 90 seconds of the half and capped it on a Gordon 3-pointer before the buzzer for a 34-30 halftime advantage.
Nicholls led 46-40 four minutes into the second half before LSU went on its run. Mwani Wilkinson put the Tigers ahead with a jumper, 48-46, and Parker Edwards was fouled shooting a 3-pointer, converting all three to end the 11-0 spurt.
Carter ended the four-minute drought with a 3-ball to make it a two-point game but the Colonels could never tie it or regain the lead. LSU's advantage did not reach double figures until Eason slammed one down to make it 70-60 with two minutes remaining.
UP NEXT
Nicholls is set to open the season in a few weeks on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at Northern Iowa.
