Nicholls notches eighth straight win with 80-62 victory over Northwestern State

NATCHITOCHES, La. – Ty Gordon poured in 30 points with 21 in the first half and Latrell Jones added 19 as the Nicholls State University men’s basketball team secured its eighth consecutive victory by defeating Northwestern State, 80-62, Thursday night at Prather Coliseum.

With the win, Nicholls (19-9, 9-2 SLC) moves into a first-place tie with New Orleans in the Southland Conference standings with three games to go. The Colonels also notched their sixth straight victory over Northwestern State (8-21, 4-8 SLC) and 10th out of the last 11 in the series.

Gordon’s 21 first-half points was fueled by five 3-pointers, helping Nicholls to a 41-29 advantage at the break. Jones was the primary focus on offense early, finishing with 11 points in the period. The Demons held the lead early before the Colonels wrapped up the half outscoring NSU, 19-6, over the last nine minutes.

The lead stayed in double figures for the rest of the game and Nicholls went up by as much as 22 points.

Devante Carter joined Gordon and Jones in double figures, finishing with 13 points off the bench while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. Jones recorded his first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds to go along with his 19 points. Over the last five games, the New Orleans native is averaging 19.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.

While the trio shined on the offensive end, the defense held Northwestern State to 32.9 percent from the field — its third lowest mark of the season. Nicholls was able to build off of its halftime lead as NSU missed its first 10 field goals, scoring just two points in the opening five minutes. Ryghe Lyons capped the 27-8 scoring run with a 3-pointer for a 49-31 lead.

The Demons were able to trim the deficit to 13 with 12 minutes remaining, but the Colonels quickly responded with a 9-0 spurt. Carter connected on one of his two 3-pointers on the night during the run and Nicholls cruised the rest of the way.

Kendal Coleman had a solid game for Northwestern State, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds. He was the lone Demon to crack double figures.

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Nicholls will head to Hammond Saturday for its third matchup against rival Southeastern. The Lions have won both meetings this year, taking the Southland Tip-Off Event title with a 77-72 win before claiming a 101-93 victory in Thibodaux. The game will air on ESPN Radio New Orleans 100.3 FM, but no broadcast/video stream will be available.