THIBODAUX, La. - Following seven road games to open the season, the Nicholls State University men's basketball team will make its home debut on Saturday, Dec. 6 as the Colonels host UIW for their Southland Conference opener. Tipoff at Broussard Court at Stopher Gymnasium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Nicholls (0-7, 0-0 SLC) is one of five teams out of 365 in Division I Men's Basketball that has yet to play a home game this season. The Colonels played their first game in Louisiana last Friday at Tulane before wrapping up the road swing Tuesday night at Creighton.

Veterans Trae English (13.3 ppg), Jaylen Searles (12.8), and Sincere Malone (10.9) have led the Colonels in scoring while newcomer Jalik Dunkley ranks third on the team at 11.0 ppg. Christian Winborne, who has four starts in his debut season, is averaging 7.1 points after netting a career high 20 points at Creighton on 5 of 5 from three-point range.

Defensively, Nicholls ranks 40th in the NCAA in steals at 9.4 per game with Malone totaling 15. All but two of his steals have come in the last four games, including a career-high five at Murray State. 

Under third-year head coach Tevon Saddler, Nicholls is 1-1 in home openers and 2-0 in SLC home openers. The Colonels are also 4-0 against UIW in his two seasons, capped with an overtime win in last year's Southland Tournament.

The Cardinals feature the SLC's top scorer, Davion Bailey, who is pouring in 21.3 points per game. But he is not the only threat as Tahj Staveski ranks third at 17.9 ppg and is second with 5.0 assists per game.

UIW (5-3, 1-0 SLC) is coming off an impressive 71-67 victory over defending champion McNeese in the teams' SLC opener last Monday. Bailey had 29 points in the win as he made 7 of 15 three-pointers.

In addition to McNeese, the Cardinals have a D1 win over Southern Indiana.

HONORING CHAMPIONS
The 1994-95 Nicholls Men's Basketball championship team will have a reunion at the game on Saturday. Led by coach Ricky Broussard, the Colonels made their first ever NCAA Tournament Appearance after winning 24 games which included a 17-1 mark in the Southland Conference. Nicholls claimed both the SLC regular season and tournament titles and went on to earn a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament.