COMMERCE, Texas – Jamal West Jr. and Michael Gray Jr. each scored 17 points as the Nicholls State University men’s basketball team won 83-61 against East Texas A&M on Monday night at the Fieldhouse. He led four colonels to double-digit points. .
Nichols (9-6, 3-1 SLC) went on a 13-0 run in the first half to pull away from the Lions (2-13, 0-4 SLC). The Colonels led by as many as 18 points before intermission and held a double-digit lead for the rest of the game, but the Colonels held on for their second 20-point win on the road at Southland under second-year head coach Tevon Sadler. I got it.
The Colonels had their best offense of the season, posting team-highs in field goal percentage (.564), 3-point percentage (.450, 9/20), free throw percentage (.923) and assists (21). . ). Trey English had 13 points and four assists, and Byron Ireland totaled 11 points and added five helpers.
Coming off the bench for the first time this season, West filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five blocks and four assists. West went 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free throw line that night, missing just one shot. Gray’s 17 points were helped by 5 of 9 from behind the arc, and he also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Mekhi Collins was just shy of double figures with nine points.
The decisive score in the first half was fueled by the Colonels’ defense. Nichols had two blocks and two steals during the game, turning a 16-13 lead into a 29-13 lead five minutes into intermission. Nichols entered the first half with a 38-24 advantage.
West scored 11 points in the first half, and Gray had 12 points in the second half, all on 3-pointers. His 3-ball with 10 minutes left gave Nichols a 20-point lead for the first time at 62-42.
East Texas A&M went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 13 points, but they couldn’t get any closer.
The Lions shot 42 percent for the game, but made just 6 of 28 3-pointers. Nichols entered this game with a three-point defense ranked 34th in the NCAA rankings.
Khaliq Abdul-Mateen and Scooter Williams Jr. each scored 12 points for the Lions.
to the next
Nichols will remain on the road next weekend, taking on preseason favorite McNeese in Lake Charles on Saturday, Jan. 11.
