HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - With the score tied at 59 in the waning seconds, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team picked up a defensive stop before
Byron Ireland drove full court and banked in a layup with 0.2 seconds remaining to lead the Colonels to a 61-59 win at Northern Kentucky Thursday night.
Following a timeout, NKU (0-3) was unable to get off a shot as Nicholls (2-2) escaped with the win.
Ireland scored a team-high 15 points to lead six Colonels who cracked the scoring column in the win.
Ike Cornish added 12 points,
Robert Brown III had 11, and
Mekhi Collins collected 12 rebounds to go along with nine points.
Jamal West Jr. and
Caleb Robinson chipped in with seven points each.
Nicholls jumped out to a 12-3 advantage and then went on a 15-0 run later in the half for a 33-14 lead. Brown sank two of his three three-pointers on the night to fuel the scoring run and Collins capped it with his second dunk.Â
NKU answered with a pair of threes and closed the deficit to 35-25 at the half.
Despite starting the second half shooting 4 of 18 from the field, Nicholls did not surrender the lead until the Norse hit a free throw to grab a 49-48 advantage with eight minutes remaining.
Nicholls briefly retook the lead on a Robinson putback, but Josh Dilling drained a three-pointer for the Norse. Dilling scored 18 for NKU while Trey Robinson totaled a game-high 19.
NKU led by five points with under three minutes to go before Collin delivered with a pair of free throws. Ireland then made it a one-point game with a driving layup. After NKU could only convert on one of two free throws, Nicholls tied it up at 59 when Cornish found West underneath for a bucket with 34 seconds remaining.
Following the defensive stop, Ireland beat the clock for the game-winner.
Nicholls dominated on the boards with a 57-33 advantage, leading to a 24-7 margin in second-chance points. The defense held NKU to 36 percent from the field, marking the fourth time in as many games with a sub-40 percent performance.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will have a quick turnaround with a Friday night matchup at No. 17 Cincinnati. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. central.Â
