BEAUMONT, Texas - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team suffered its second straight league loss as the Colonels fell 69-66 at Lamar Thursday night at the Montagne Center.

After Latrell Jones hit a free throw with 20 seconds left to tie the game, Lamar's Nate Calmese drained a pull-up 3-pointer with only 1.3 seconds remaining on the clock. Nicholls (7-9, 2-2 SLC) was able to toss a pass the length of the court, but could not get a shot off before the final horn sounded.

The setback snapped a four-game winning streak in the series for the Colonels, while Lamar (5-12, 1-3 SLC) claimed its first league victory since 2021. The Cardinals were winless in conference play last season before starting this year 0-3. 

Like in Saturday's loss at Northwestern State, the Colonels struggled mightily against the zone defense by shooting 31.3 percent overall and 7 of 33 from 3-point range. Latrell Jones scored a team-high 12 points and Micah Thomas finished with 11, but the duo combined to make only 6 of 29 from the field. Caleb Huffman scored seven points and had three steals before fouling out, ending his double-digit scoring streak at 10 games. 

Lamar was held to 40.4 percent and took only five 3-pointers. But the Cardinals stayed in the game by making the most of their free throw attempts, connecting on 28 of 34. The Colonels continued to struggle at the charity stripe, making 17 of 28 (61%) which included misfiring on the front end of four one-and-ones. 

Nicholls did not lead the entire first half and went into the break down 36-34. But the second half was closely contested throughout as there were 11 ties and 10 lead changes following the intermission.

Early in the second half, Nicholls gained its first advantage of the night with the help of Marek Nelson. After scoring on a layup, his steal led to a pair of Jones free throws for a 38-36 lead.

Lamar enjoyed its largest advantage of the final period at 50-46 with 10 minutes to go. Nicholls answered and gained its biggest lead after Jones converted a basket-and-one four minutes later to make the score 61-58. 

With Lamar leading by one and three minutes remaining, the Colonels led for the final time when Tyrease Terrell found Huffman open for a 3-pointer with 2:53 on the clock. Terrell helped provide a spark off the bench, making 3 of 5 from 3-point range for a season-high nine points. He also blocked a shot in the final 30 seconds, setting up Jones' game-tying free throw. 
 

Other leaders for the Colonels included Manny Littles with a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with eight points. Ryan Maxwell came off the bench for six points and four rebounds. 

Calmese scored a game-high 20 points to lead Lamar and was the lone Cardinal in double figures. 

UP NEXT
Nicholls returns home for a rematch against Northwestern State on Saturday, Jan. 14. The Demons defeated the Colonels last Saturday, 68-48. Tipoff at Stopher Gymnasium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

STUFF STOPHER
Following the three-game road trip, Nicholls returns home to host Northwestern State (Jan. 14) and McNeese (Jan. 19). The contest against McNeese on Thursday will serve as the program's annual "Stuff Stopher" game. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time by calling the Nicholls Athletics Ticket Office at 985-448-4790 or visiting NichollsTickets.com.

FOLLOW THE COLONELS
Follow Nicholls Men's Basketball on social media on Twitter (@Nicholls_MBB) and Instagram. Follow Colonel Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to the official YouTube channel (Nicholls Athletics).