The Nicholls State University men’s basketball team wrapped up their season with a three-game win streak against Southeastern Louisiana University on March fifth before heading to post-season.

“We finished with the number six strength non-conference in the country,” head coach J.P. Piper said.

The Colonels’ preseason struck a losing streak on road games until the game against Hampton University. Unfortunately, the Colonels’ luck ran out soon after as Nicholls continued to lose games during their conference campaign.

“The preseason was brutal and it took a toll on us, and it took us a while to find our stride and confidence,” Piper said.

The Colonels struggled in the beginning of the season to gain the results they wanted. With losses across the board on away games in conference, the Colonels kept their odds to make it to the conference tournament with home game wins.
Nicholls lost a majority of the road games during conference, with usually not much of a point difference. The Colonels’ biggest loss was 35 points to Stephen F. Austin.

“We took them as a learning loss and used each one to use in the next game. We didn’t get to be where we wanted to be until the end of the season,” T.J. Carpenter, guard, said.

The Colonels surprised themselves when they beat the University of New Orleans 80-76, almost a month after they lost to UNO 53-74.

The win against UNO gave the Colonels another opportunity to make it to the Southland Conference Tournament. The Colonels set a record for dominant defensive performances with 11 blocks against UNO.

Center Liam Thomas kept the defense fastened as Carpenter set the tone to the offense.

“The season was resilient. We had ups and downs more downs than ups, but we found a way to put it all together when we needed to put it together,” Schane Rillieux, guard, said.

The Colonels played University of Central Arkansas for their second to last season game away. Nicholls had a record for losing away games this season, but the Colonels beat the Bears 68-64. The win against UCA broke the Colonels’ 17-road game losing streak and brought them one step closer to the tournament.

The Colonels led by 12 points until the Bears started to catch up. The two battled back and fourth until forward Ja’Dante’ Frye brought in a jumper with less than five minutes remaining on the clock.
The game ended with Thomas having career-high 13 boards and scoring eight points. Forward Adam Ward scored 11 points and Carpenter scored 10 points, six boards, two assists and a steal.
The game against Southeastern was a win or go home for the Colonels. Nicholls took on the Lions for Senior Day, as the team said their goodbyes to seniors Carpenter, Rillieux and center Kyle Caudill after the season.

“It’s always hard to see them go, but I am excited to see the next chapter in their lives,” Piper said.

The Colonels beat Southeastern 64-45, leading to the Colonels three game-winning streak. The seniors’ parents watched the Colonel’s success.

“I thought their leadership down stretch was a reason why we were able to salvage a little bit of a positive image,” Piper said.

Ending his last season game as Nicholls’ Colonels, Caudill performed outstandingly with 10 boards and five points. Carpenter’s mother was there to watch her son grab 10 boards and score five points. Rillieux ended with an all-around game as his parents watched him earn four steals, while having four assists, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds.

The three wins at the end of the season sealed the Colonels’ fate to play in Katy, Texas at the Southland Conference Tournament where they took on McNeese State University, a team who the Colonels played two weeks prior and lost to 69-71. Liam Thomas ended the season with the highest number of blocks in Nicholls men’s basketball program. Carpenter scored 204-points for conference. L. Thomas and guard Jonathan Bell tied for 170, and Frye followed behind with 169-points.

Nicholls finished the season with an overall record of 11-23 and 6-12 in conference.

“Ending in a positive gives us great momentum going into next season,” Piper said.