LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team had five players score in double figures, paced by
Ty Gordon with a game-high 24 points and
Manny Littles with 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Colonels handed rival McNeese its first home loss of the season, 81-71, Thursday night in the Legacy Center.
Gordon hit four 3-pointers in the win including two at key moments. He had a basket-and-one and a 3-ball to spark an 8-1 spurt to close out the half that gave Nicholls (12-9, 2-2 SLC) the lead for good. Then after the break, McNeese (8-13, 2-2 SLC) saw its smallest deficit of the period at 51-48 with a 3-pointer before Gordon answered from deep on the next possession. It was all Nicholls the rest of the way, leading by as much as 16 en route to a fourth-straight win over the Cowboys in the series.
Devante Carter had an impressive all-around performance, shooting 6 of 9 for 19 points while adding six assists and five first-half steals.
Pierce Spencer and
Ryghe Lyons rounded out the leading scorers with 10 points. Only six Colonels scored in the victory with
Ryan Maxwell adding a pair of free throws.
Nicholls shot 49 percent from the field while limiting McNeese to 42 percent. The Colonel defense held McNeese to 10 of 27 in the second half.
The Colonels came out on fire, scoring the game's first nine points. But the Cowboys answered with a 24-6 run midway through the half. It wasn't until a Littles dunk after an offensive rebound that Nicholls regained the lead, going up 35-34. With the late run, Nicholls held a 44-39 advantage at the intermission.
The offensive stars continued to shine for the Red and Gray in the second half as Gordon scored 13 and Littles had nine for his fourth double-double of the season. Littles and Lyons combined for 10 offensive rebounds which made way for 16 second-chance points.
McNeese was led by Kellon Taylor with 13 points and Harwin Francois added 12.
The game was the first of two matchups between the in-state rivals, with the Cowboys set to come to Thibodaux on Feb. 17 for the Colonels' annual Stuff Stopher.
