THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team concludes its two-game trip to Maryland with a Friday afternoon matchup against Towson University. Tipoff at TU Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m. central.
In a Homecoming contest for first-year head coach
Tevon Saddler, the Colonels nearly picked up the program's first-ever win over a Big 10 school but fell late to Maryland, 73-67, Tuesday night. Nicholls (4-7) led by as much as nine in the second half but came up short in picking up their third road win of the season. Saddler, a native of Aberdeen, Maryland, also served on the coaching staff for the Terrapins last season before taking over the Colonel program.
Also returning home, Baltimore native
Jamal West Jr. continued his outstanding debut season with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in Tuesday's setback. West has been one of the most dynamic players in the Southland so far, ranking fifth in scoring (16.5), third in rebounding (8.8) and first in blocks (1.9). West blocked four shots for the second time which was his fifth game with three or more blocks.
Nicholls made 12 of 22 from distance against Maryland with
Jalen White accounting for 5 of 6. Averaging 11.3 points per game, White is currently the career active leader in three-point percentage as he's made 43.6 percent from behind the arc this season.
The Colonels also received a stellar outing from
Diante Smith, who returned to the lineup for the first time in a month. Smith tallied a double-double with a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds while adding five assists and three steals. In his six full games, Smith is averaging 16.7 points per contest this season.
Towson features a 5-6 record following a tough double-overtime loss to Bryant on Saturday. The loss came on the road as the Tigers are 3-0 at home this season. Over the last two-plus campaigns, Towson has been tough to beat at TU Arena as they sport a 26-4 record.
TU has a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging between 12 and 9 points. Christian May is the top scorer at 11.9 points and has a team-high 21 made three-pointers.
