LAFAYETTE, La. - Michael Gray Jr. scored all 19 points in the second half to help erase a 15-point deficit while
Byron Ireland sank the go-ahead free throws in the final seconds as the Nicholls State University men's basketball team defeated Louisiana, 76-75, Saturday afternoon inside the Cajundome.
Nicholls (4-4) scored the final two points of the first half to trail 39-29 and then caught fire in the second, scoring the first 18 points for a 47-39 advantage. Louisiana (1-7) did not regain the lead until Christian Wright made a pair of free throws with 13 seconds to go.
Ireland, who hit the game-winner at Northern Kentucky earlier this month, drew a foul with 6.4 seconds and calmly knocked down a pair to put Nicholls back on top. UL was able to get off a running layup but it hit off the rim as time expired.
Gray led four Colonels in double figures with
Jaylen Searles and
Jamal West Jr. adding 15 points each while Ireland had 13. After making 2 of 12 from three-point range in the first half, Nicholls drained 8 of 11 in the second with Gray leading the surge with five triples and Searles made two.
Points were tough to come by for the Colonels in the opening half as they shot just 31 percent from the field. UL saw its first double-digit lead at 19-7 on a Chancellor White three-pointer and it wasn't until West scored twice inside with six minutes to go that Nicholls brought the deficit to eight.
But Louisiana answered with a 7-0 run, capped on a basket-and-one by Kyran Ratliff for a 34-19 lead. Ratliff came up big for the Ragin' Cajuns with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
In the second half, Searles got the three-point barrage started before Gray hit back-to-back from deep to give Nicholls a 40-39 lead. Searles added another one to fuel the run and a pair of West free throws were the final points of the 18-0 stretch. The Colonels had their best showing of the season at the charity stripe, making 18 of 20.
Nicholls grabbed its largest lead when
Robert Brown III drained a three from the corner to make the score 52-41. However, another 7-0 run kept UL within striking distance and then a Wright three-pointer tied the game at 59.
The Colonels countered with three consecutive three-point plays to stay on top. Gray made two more from long range before Ireland's basket-and-one gave Nicholls a 68-64 edge with 5:40 to go.
Down by five with two minutes remaining, UL made its last push thanks to a pair of Kentrell Garnett buckets. A steal then set up Wright's go-ahead free throws but Louisiana was unable to hang on, suffering a seventh straight loss.
The win for Nicholls ended a five-game skid in the series and it was the first victory over UL since 1988. It was also just Louisiana's second loss to a Southland school in the last 26 meetings.
UP NEXT
Nicholls will open SLC play this week with two home games, starting Thursday, Dec. 5 against Southeastern. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
