Playing on Broussard Court in Stopher Gymnasium for the first time this season, the Nicholls State University men’s basketball team delivered a strong defensive showing to secure a 74-67 victory over UIW on Saturday afternoon.
Nicholls (1-7, 1-0 SLC) held the Cardinals to just 37.9 percent shooting and only one made three-pointer in 14 attempts. UIW (5-4, 1-1 SLC) entered the matchup averaging more than 86 points per contest, fresh off a conference-opening win over McNeese, but the Colonels’ defensive pressure set the tone early.
Offensively, sophomore Jalik Dunkley paced three Nicholls players in double figures with 19 points. Sincere Malone followed with 13, and Trae English added 11 as Nicholls shot 44 percent overall and knocked down 9-of-17 from long distance. Malone buried both of his attempts from deep, while Zee Hamoda offered a boost off the bench, connecting on 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Dunkley electrified the home crowd with an early slam, and both teams traded leads through the first 10 minutes. Nicholls pulled ahead 17-16 midway through the half and maintained control until halftime, leading by as many as six before taking a 34-33 edge into the break.
UIW briefly regained the lead early in the second half, but a 9-0 run fueled by back-to-back steals swung momentum back to Nicholls. Christian Winborne and Malone capped the surge with consecutive threes, giving the Colonels a 52-44 advantage with 13 minutes remaining. UIW continued to pressure, closing the gap to three on multiple occasions, but never got closer. With Nicholls ahead 55-52, Hamoda drilled a timely three and later fed Malone for a finish to push the lead back to seven.
Down the stretch, English and Dunkley combined to sink four clutch free throws in the final 21 seconds, sealing the win.
Nicholls’ defense also held the Southland Conference’s leading scorer, Davion Bailey, to just seven points on 1-of-8 shooting. UIW’s Jordan Pyke finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Tahj Staveski added 19.
The triumph marks Nicholls’ sixth straight win over UIW and the 10th in the last 11 matchups. It also moves head coach Tevon Saddler to 3-0 in Southland home openers.
Up Next:
Nicholls continues its three-game homestand on Wednesday, Dec. 10, when it hosts the College of Biblical Studies. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
