KATY, Texas -- Following a successful clinch of the outright regular-season title just over a week ago, the Nicholls State University men's basketball program (17-6, 14-2 SLC) enters the Southland Conference Tournament boasting some serious momentum as the squad aims to take advantage of the league's top overall seed -- a first for the Red & Gray in over two decades -- heading into the semifinals, locking swords with No. 4 Northwestern State (11-17, 9-7 SLC) for the third time this year Friday evening at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, tipoff slated for 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

Earlier this season, the Red & Gray managed to orchestrate a clean sweep of the Demons across a pair of relatively close games, initially upending Northwestern State in a mid-January defensive battle, 76-66, before dominating the eventual four seed 87-71 back at Stopher Gym in early March.

Individually, redshirt senior Andre Jones put forth the most consistent effort for Colonels across both contests, averaging 14.5 points per game off a 56.5 percent shooting clip from the field, not to mention one double-double (16 pts/14 rebs on Mar. 1) behind a combined 18 boards and six assists; notably, however, both victories featured a balanced approach from the Red & Gray, with no one scorer breaching 20 points yet five different Colonels cracking the double-digit barrier in total.

WHAT: No. 1 Nicholls vs. No. 4 Northwestern State | Game Notes
WHEN: Friday, Mar. 12 | 5 p.m.
WHERE: Leonard E. Merrell Center | Katy, Texas
MEDIA: Live Stats | Watch -- ESPN+ | Listen -- 1600 AM KLEB

UP NEXT
With a victory over the Demons, the Colonels are set to advance to the Southland Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday, Mar. 13, tip scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

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

• Austin Claunch enters the final stretch of his third season at the helm for the Red & Gray, sporting a 52-33 (36-18 SLC) overall record with the Colonels.
• The team boasts eight seniors: G Ty Gordon, 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.

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