Nicholls men’s basketball team has lost two straight home games hosting Texas A&M Corpus Christi Thursday and Texas-San Antonio Saturday in Stopher Gym. The Colonels are 2-9 and have only defeated Stephen F. Austin and McNeese State during 2008.
Despite the last six games being decided by six points or less, the Colonels have found ways to lose five of those games and are 2-9 for the last eleven games.
The past three seasons under J.P. Piper the Colonels have a combined record of 24-59. The two recent losses must come as further disappointment for the team.
With less than two minutes in the game, freshman Anatoly Bose tied the score at 46.
But with 29 seconds left, Southland Conference Player of the Year Chris Daniels drilled a three ball to give the Islanders the lead 49-47.
In the final seconds, the Colonels would have a chance to win or tie the game, but Ryan Bathie’s failed jump shot forced the Colonels to foul.
After the Islanders made one of their foul shots, the game was nearly over.
With one second left on the game clock, the game ended in a Texas A & M Corpus Christi steal. The final score was 50-47. Coach Piper said he thought his team played hard and tough.
“They played their guts out; it seemed like no matter what we did, the ball would find a way out of the rim,” Piper said.
In the loss versus Texas-San Antonio, the Colonels led by 12 points early in the second half but committed 26 turnovers. Junior Justin Payne contributed to the Roadrunners’ victory by committing a foul on Texas guard Devin Gibson at the end of the game.
With .5 seconds left to play, Gibson stepped to the free throw line and nailed them both to win the game 54-52. Despite the loss, Piper said he felt the team played well.
“We were very casual with the ball and did not protect it. I thought we played well on defense, and our offense played well in spurts,” Piper said.
The offense played under par according to the statistics. Nicholls leading scorer was Ryan Bathie who put 11 points on the board, as the rest of the team shot in single digits.
The Roadrunners would outscore the Colonels 30-22 in the second half.
Defensively, though, the Colonels out-rebounded the Roadrunners 24-22. In conference play, Nicholls is ranked number eight, shooting 32-percent from three-point land. From the field, the Colonels are ranked 12th, shooting 40.5-percent. The Colonels are ranked fifth in turnovers.
All of which leaves fans wanting this season.
According to a message board in delphiforums.com, some fans are upset with the men’s basketball performance.
“It’s always up and down. usually down. Even in the only SLC win against Stephen F. Austin, it was the worst-coached final five minutes I have seen personally. (There were) chances to put a team away, and you turn it over five times in a row, c’mon,” wrote an anonymous fan.
The Colonels will be traveling to play Southeastern Feb. 23. at 6 p.m. The Lions are 1-3 in the last four games and 2-4 at home versus conference opponents.
