THIBODAUX, La. -- The Nicholls State University men's basketball team opens its 2021-22 season under reigning Southland Coach of the Year Austin Claunch, taking on Northern Iowa Tuesday night at the McLeod Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Nicholls, the defending Southland Conference regular season champions, is coming off an 18-7 overall season where it claimed its fourth SLC title. The Colonels welcome back Southland Newcomer of the Year Ty Gordon and first-team preseason honoree Ryghe Lyons. The duo makes up two-thirds of the returning letterwinners but the Colonels will feature 10 newcomers with seven being transfers. 

GORDON SHINES IN DEBUT 
- Transfer Ty Gordon was the Colonels' leading scorer (14.6 ppg) in his first year with the Colonels. He averaged 3.7 assists and connected on 63 made 3-pointers.
- 2020-21 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, All-Southland First Team.
-Scored in double figures in 18 games, including 26- and 27-point games in wins over HBU and New Orleans.

A LYONS' ROAR
- The most experienced player on the roster with 113 games played, Ryghe Lyons shores up the inside at 6-foot-10, 280 pounds. The center averaged 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds.
- Lyons scored in double figures in seven games in 2020-21 and had three double-doubles.
- His 1.8 blocks/game was second-best in the Southland last season.

PROGRAM SUCCESS
- Nicholls is 39-17 overall and 29-7 in SLC play last two seasons. The Colonels tied for second in the Southland Conference in 2020 to earn the No. 3 seed in the postseason, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. This past campaign, the Red and Gray won 16 of 18 league games to earn the Southland regular season title.
- The 39 wins in two-year span are second most wins over a two year period in program history -- 43-15 between 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
-The 29 Southland Conference wins in a two-year span are tied for the most in a two-year stretch -- 29-7 between 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.

COACH CLAUNCH
- Is the second youngest coach in Division 1 Men's Basketball. Was the youngest during his first three years until Valley member Loyola Chicago hired Drew Valentine (30 years old) this offseason. 
- His 53 wins are the most by any Nicholls coach in their first three seasons, surpassing Gordon Stauffer's 41 wins (1981-1984).
- With the overtime win last year at New Orleans, (2/27/21),  Claunch recorded his 50th win in his 86th game coached which is the fastest to 50 wins in program history.

ABOUT UNI
- The Panthers won the only previous meeting, 68-63, in Seattle in 2006.
- UNI is coming off a 10-15 campaign and returns most of their returning scorers. AJ Green heads the offense, averaging 22 points in three games last year before missing the rest of the season with an injury. Green averaged 19.7 points in the year prior, earning MVC Player of the Year as he led the Panthers to a 25-win season.

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