If the Colonels Saturday night game against rival Southeastern University was compared to an exam, the team did not simply pass the test; they aced it. In front of over 400 screaming Nicholls fans and a live Cox Sports Television viewing audience, the Colonels put on a show and dropped Southeastern University 74-72 on Saturday night in Stopher Gym.
The game was a historic mark for the men’s basketball team. It was the first ever live televised game in Stopher. Many of Nicholls games have been recorded and shown on television at a later date, but the Colonels have never had the opportunity to play in front of a live television audience in Stopher.
The Colonels (6-20, 5-7 SLC) only had seven players dress out for the match up while Southeastern brought thirteen active players. The seven players have proven to be quite effective for the team as they boast a 3-1 record playing together this season.
Southeastern (15-10, 7-5 SLC) traveled to Thibodaux firmly holding second place in the Southland Conference Eastern Division. The Lions have proven to be no slouch on the road as they knocked off teams such as Oregon State University and Penn State University earlier in the season.
When the game tipped off at 5p.m, Southeastern wasted no time in scoring as
Nicholls trailed by nine points with six minutes remaining in the first half, but the Colonels zone defense started taking effect and the Colonels shortened the Lion’s lead by three points at halftime.
The second half was filled with twists and turns as the Colonels and the Lions swapped the lead numerous times. Early in the second half, the Colonels rallied to score eight unanswered points in three minutes and took the lead over Southeastern by seven points. Southeastern then went on a 20-5 run and took the lead over the Colonels by eight points. The lead swapped back and fourth throughout the rest of the game until the Colonels defense stepped up and held Southeastern.
With 49 seconds until the final buzzer sounded the Colonels were leading by four points, 74-70. Southeastern’s senior guard Terry Bryant cut Nicholls lead in half by making a jumper with 35 seconds remaining. After the Lion’s took a 20 second timeout, the Colonels had one goal; keep possession of the ball. The shot clock was dead and the Lion’s intentionally fouled sophomore guard Justin Payne putting the Colonels into bonus. After missing the free throw, Southeastern retained possession with 18 seconds on the clock. The Lion’s hopes for overtime fell short as their leading scorer Daryl Cohen’s jumper bricked off the glass in the final seconds. The Colonels won the game 74-72 over Southeastern.
The Colonels shot 54 percent from the field for the game, but second half shooting was even more favorable to the team. In the second half, Nicholls shot 65 percent from the field and hit 62 percent of shots from beyond the arc.
Head coach J.P. Piper said the win was very important for the Colonel and shows that the team’s potential is great.
“This win is huge for our team. Our backs were against the wall and we really needed a win and we got it against one of the best teams in our league,” Piper said. “Winning this game is a huge confidence boost and it really shows the potential of our players.”
Nicholls managed to shut down Cohen which proved to be the difference maker. Four weeks ago, the Lion’s senior guard was a nuisance in the Colonels 75-69 loss to Southeastern at University Center in Hammond. In the previous game, Cohen racked up 20 points including six three pointers to outplay the Colonels. In Saturday’s game, Nicholls’ defense limited Cohen to11 points and two three pointers.
The Southland Conference gave an honorable mention to senior forward Stephan Blaszczynski for his performance against the Lions. The forward shot 56 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line to earn a total of 24 points, 17 of which came in the second half of play.
Blaszczynski is also marking his place in Colonels basketball history for career points earned. Blaszczynski now stands 12th with 1,288 for his career with four games left in the regular season.
Blaszczynski said the team came out with confidence and were dedicated to obtaining a win over Southeastern.
“We only had seven players but all seven played with so much heart. We came out giving it our all and played hard all game long to get a win,” Blaszczynski said.
The Colonels showed a Cox Sports Television audience how serious the team was about making it to the SLC tournament. The Colonels are two wins away from securing a bid to the SLC tournament. Their next match up is slated for Thursday night against Northwestern State University.
