THIBODAUX, La. - Byron Ireland scored a game-high 15 points while
Jamal West Jr. tallied a double-double as the Nicholls State University men's basketball team earned a hard-fought 67-64 win over Southeastern Thursday night at Stopher Gymnasium.
West totaled 13 points and 10 rebounds in the victory and made a pair of free throws in the final minute to help secure the win. Ireland, whose bucket gave Nicholls a six-point lead with a minute to go, made two free throws with four seconds remaining after the Lions cut the deficit to one.Â
SLU (4-5, 0-1 SLC) fired up a three at the buzzer but it was no good, giving Nicholls (5-4, 1-0 SLC) a fifth consecutive win in the series.
The Colonels pieced together another solid effort on defense, holding SLU to 5 of 20 from three-point range while causing 16 turnovers. Nicholls doubled up the visitors in points-off-turnovers with a 16-8 advantage. Ireland and
Jaylen Searles (8 points) led the defense with three steals each.
In a game that saw five ties and 12 lead changes, Nicholls had its largest advantage of the night at 26-19 with four minutes until halftime. Consecutive steals made way for a pair of fast break layups for the Colonels. But SLU ended the half on an 8-2 run to make it a one-point game at the break.
The Lions took the lead early in the second half, but Ireland scored inside for a 39-38 advantage at the 15:09 mark and Nicholls would never trail again. The margin stayed within six and every time SLU tried to tie it or take the lead, Nicholls had an answer.
The Colonels could never find their touch from the outside, shooting a season-low 4 of 24 from behind the arc. But both made threes in the second half doubled the lead with makes by
Ike Cornish and Searles. The reigning SLC Player of the Week
Michael Gray Jr. was 0-for-5 from three but contributed with 10 points and six rebounds.
Three Lions scored 13 points including Sam Hines Jr. who had a double-double with 11 rebounds.
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Nicholls will host New Orleans on Saturday, Dec. 7 with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
