Robert Brown III - Nicholls MBB
Jailen Leach
80
Winner Nicholls NichSt 18-13,13-5 Southland
54
Southeastern La. SL 15-16,10-8 Southland
Winner
Nicholls NichSt
18-13,13-5 Southland
80
Final
54
Southeastern La. SL
15-16,10-8 Southland
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Nicholls NichSt 44 36 80
Southeastern La. SL 34 20 54

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Colonels roll in regular season finale at Southeastern, 80-54

HAMMOND, La. - For the second time in as many games, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team turned in one of its best defensive performances as the Colonels secured the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Southland Tournament with a convincing 80-53 victory against Southeastern on Thursday night inside the University Center. 
 
The win wrapped up an impressive debut campaign for first-year head coach Tevon Saddler. Nicholls finished the regular season with an 18-13 overall mark and a 13-5 record in conference to take third place in the SLC. The Colonels will open postseason play on Monday against the winner of No. 6 Northwestern State and No. 7 Texas A&M-Commerce. Tickets are available for purchase here.
 
For the victory in the finale, Nicholls held Southeastern (15-16, 10-8 SLC) to its worst shooting effort in conference play at 35.3 percent. The Colonel defense was coming off a 34 percent showing in Monday's road win at Northwestern State.
 
Similar to the first meeting on Jan. 9, Nicholls never trailed the entire game against SLU and the score was tied just once at 9-9. The Colonels led 44-34 at the half and then scored the first 12 points after the intermission to build a 22-point lead. The 27-point margin of victory was the largest in the series for the Colonels since a 91-55 win in Hammond in 1999.
 
Leading the Colonels on offense were Jamal West Jr. and Robert Brown III. West finished with a double-double, scoring 22 points to go along with 11 rebounds, while Brown put on another shooting clinic by hitting 6 of 12 three-pointers for 20 points.  Byron Ireland joined them in double figures with 10 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
 
Nicholls gave up the ball only seven times and had a distinct 21-6 advantage in points-off-turnovers. It marked the ninth game the Red & Gray had single figures in turnovers. 

SLU was paced by Roger McFarlane with 12 points and Avery Wilson added 10 points. The Lions scored on six field goals in the second half as they shot 28 percent after the break.
 
UP NEXT
Nicholls will continue its season on Monday in the quarterfinals of the Southland Conference Tournament. The tournament is hosted by McNeese and will take place at the Legacy Center. Tickets are available here.