THIBODAUX, La. - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team closes out 2025 with a Texas road trip, first taking on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29 before heading to UTRGV for a 4:30 p.m. New Year's Eve matchup. Both games will air on ESPN+.

The Colonels are 2-0 in Southland play but will have to secure their first road win of the season to keep their unblemished league record intact. Nicholls is 0-8 on the road including a 95-82 loss at Pacific in its last outing.

But following seven straight games on the road, Nicholls (3-8, 2-0 SLC) returned home and secured three wins including two in conference against UIW and HCU. Newcomer Jalik Dunkley shined in both of the outings and is averaging 21.0 points on 14 of 16 from the field (87.5%). Trae English is also averaging double figures in SLC play at 12.5 points along with 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals, while Sincere Malone is at 10.5 ppg. 

Defensively, the Red and Gray have struggled on the road slowing teams down from the three-point line, but in the two home Southland wins, has held the opposition to a combined 3 of 23 (13.0%). The defensive field goal percentage is also significantly lower at 43.7 percent compared to .519 versus nonconference Division I opponents.  

Although Nicholls has had recent success against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (5-6, 1-1 SLC) by winning three of the last four, road wins in the series have been few and far between. The Colonels are 2-9 all-time at Corpus Christi and have come up empty in the three previous trips.

Like the Colonels, AMCC did not pick up a D1 nonconference win but opened Southland play with a victory over Lamar before falling to Stephen F. Austin. Behind an 18-point, three-steal effort by Nick Shogbonyo, the Islanders defeated LU, 57-49, on the road.

UTRGV (5-6, 1-1 SLC) sports the same record as the Islanders after also beating Lamar and coming up short against SFA, but the Vaqueros earned two D1 victories out of league play. UTRGV had a convincing 95-72 win at Southern Utah and beat Austin Peay at home, 63-50.

UT Rio Grande Valley has used a balanced effort in conference on offense as four players average between 11.5 and 10.0 points. Marvin McGhee III is one of the four and leads the team overall at 12.1 points per game, helped by his 30-point night against Southern Utah.

Nicholls is 3-0 all-time against UTRGV, sweeping the series last season including an 82-75 win on the road.