HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Despite a pair of strong performances out of seniors Jaylen Fornes and Ty Gordon, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (10-6, 7-2 SLC) was unable to maintain their seven-game league win streak at Southland leader Sam Houston (14-6, 8-1 SLC), faltering to the Bearkats by a final 78-71 mark Saturday evening at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

In a near-mirror of the initial contest between the Colonels and SHSU earlier this past January, the Red & Gray rocketed out to a 15-point advantage behind pinpoint shooting and unwavering defensive pressure, leading 23-8 with just under 11 minutes to play in the opening period. As the first half began to wind down, however, Nicholls suddenly struggled to find the bottom of the net, suffering 21 consecutive missed field goals before a Fornes buzzer-beating triple broke the hex and handed the Colonels a one-point edge at the break.

The Bearkats launched themselves out to a quick lead in the second period, though, earning a 10-point advantage just five minutes deep. From that mark, Nicholls never managed to close the gap lower than four points as the SHSU lead hovered between there and 11 points for the remainder of the matchup, eventually settling on seven at the final buzzer.
 
KEY STORYLINES & STATISTICS
-- For the night, Nicholls finished shooting 38.7 percent (24-of-62) from the floor, 29.2 percent (7-of-24) beyond the arc and 69.6 percent (16-of-23) at the free throw line.
-- With the loss, the Colonels pick up their first setback since Jan. 2 as the eight-game (seven in Southland) win streak comes to a halt.
-- Individually, Fornes and Gordon carried the majority of the offensive load for the Red & Gray, as the former notched a season-high 20 points while the latter posted a solid 19 of his own, good for the Mississippi native's 14th double-digit outing of the year. Gordon also tacked on four assists along with a squad-best four steals.
-- Meanwhile, fellow senior Andre Jones contributed another quiet double-digit showing himself, dropping 13 points with a team-high six assists.
-- On the glass, freshman Pierce Spencer led the way with nine boards while both Gordon and Jones pulled down six apiece.

UP NEXT
After squaring off against Sam Houston on Saturday, the Colonels' three-game road stretch continues with Lamar, heading back across state lines to face off with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Feb. 10, tip set for 7 p.m.

STAY SOCIAL
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