THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak as the Colonels host Northwestern State Monday night inside Stopher Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Nicholls (11-10, 6-2 SLC) notched its third straight win after Saturday's 83-73 wire-to-wire victory over HCU. Northwestern State (6-16, 4-5 SLC) also won on Saturday against Texas A&M-Commerce, snapping a three-game skid. 

After a month-plus of Southland Conference play, the Colonels sit in third place in the standings. McNeese is in first at 8-1 with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in second at 7-2. But Nicholls will be looking to take advantage of a favorable February slate with six of its eight games set to be played in Stopher Gym. Saturday's win over HCU improved the Colonels' mark at home to 6-1 this season. 

Byron Ireland led Nicholls with 23 points against HCU, which was his third straight game with 20 or more points. Ireland made 8 of 13 from the field as the Colonels had the best shooting percentage of the season at 55.9 percent. Although the team made just 3 of 17 from three-point range, the offense was near perfect inside by making 22 of their 27 layups. In comparison, the Colonel defense limited to HCU to 15 of 31.

The Colonels blocked seven shots to tie their second most of the season and held the Huskies to 41.4 percent shooting, which was the second lowest for the defense in league play. Mekhi Collins had two blocks and leads the SLC in conference games with 1.8, while Oumar Koureissi finished with three blocks. 

Northwestern State enters the matchup tied for fifth in the standings at 4-5. All of the Demons' setbacks have been against the top half of the standings, including two losses to first-place McNeese. NSU had a three-game winning streak in January which included a lopsided 92-67 road victory against New Orleans. 

In the win Saturday against Commerce, the Demons were led on offense by Justin Wilson who scored a team-high 17 points. Cliff Davis scored in double figures as well with 10 points and paces the Demon offense at 14.8 points per game.