Colonels fall to SMU in the first round of the NIT

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Nicholls Men’s Basketball received a bid to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) after a short run in the Southland Conference Tournament.

 

The Colonels took on the number 1 seed in their bracket in Southern Methodist University (SMU) on March 16 at 7 pm. The game took place in Dallas, TX, and it was also broadcasted on ESPN+.

 

The Colonels played an intrasquad scrimmage in the week leading up to the game, with the winning team being the starters for this game. The winning team consisted of four guards in Ty Gordon, Caleb Huffman, Pierce Spencer, Jon’Quarius Mcghee and center Rhyge Lyons. Freshman Jon’Quarious Mcghee made his first start in this game. 

 

The game got off to a slow start with only 11 points being scored in the first five minutes. Nicholls got out to a 4-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game, but SMU would go on a 19-4 run following the early Colonels’ lead.

 

Nicholls would close the gap to four points with 5:31 left in the half on a Devante Carter layup that made the score 23-19.

 

SMU would not leave the score close, getting out to a 10 point lead with 2:29 to go in the first half. The half ended with a score of 35-26 Mustangs.

 

The Mustangs would score the first points of the half on a Marcus Weathers layup following a foul committed by Rhyge Lyons, making it an 11 point game.

 

Later, a Devante Carter shot closed the gap 3 points with a score of 45-42 Mustangs.

 

The teams would go back and forth for the next ten minutes when Nicholls would make the score 58-56, their smallest deficit since early in the first half.

 

After the lead was cut to two, SMU would begin to take control of the game. The Mustangs would score seven points before the Colonels scored again.

 

The Mustangs ended the game on a 10-2 run making the final score 68-58 SMU.

 

Devante Carter led the game in both points and assists scoring 20 points and assisting on seven scores.

 

Both teams would shoot under 40% from the field and under 25% from the three-point line. SMU had two players in double digits for rebounds and out rebounded Nicholls 49-35.

 

One thing to note in this game is that both the Southland Conference Player of the Year, Ty Gordon (Nicholls), and American Conference Player of the Year, Kendric Davis (SMU), were on the court together.

 

Nicholls will lose 8 of their 16 current players next season, so it is bound to be a new look Colonels in 2022-2023. 

 

Until next season, Geaux Kerns!