Nicholls sets Southland record with 22 3-pointers in rout of UCA

THIBODAUX, La. – The Nicholls State University men’s basketball team broke its own Southland Conference record with 22 made 3-pointers in a 100-57 victory over Central Arkansas Saturday evening in Stopher Gymnasium.

Nicholls (12-15, 5-9 SLC) set the league’s mark with 21 in 2007 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, then the Islanders went on to tie it in a win over Southwestern Adventist in 2014. The Colonels headed into the matchup ranked in the top 30 of the NCAA in 3-pointers made, with their previous season-high of 16 coming at Washington State.

The Colonels needed 41 attempts from behind the arc to break the record, hitting at a 53.7 percent clip. Graduate transfer Jeremiah Jefferson was 5 of 11 and finished with a team-high 26 points, while Danny Garrick hit 6 of 11 and totaled 20 points. Kevin Johnson had 14 points and was 4 of 6 from downtown, and Gavin Peppers added 12 points on a 3-for-4 day from 3-point range.

Elvis Harvey started the game with a 3-pointer and made two, while Jeremiah Buford and Thomas Clement sank one each.

The 43-point win was also the largest margin of victory for the Colonels in their Southland history. The previous best was set last season in their 87-46 win over Northwestern State.

Central Arkansas (10-17, 5-9 SLC) never led in the game and was only tied once at 5-5. The Bears shot just 29.6 percent in the first half while Nicholls made 10 3-pointers for a commanding 44-25 lead.

The long-range assault continued after the break with Nicholls making four more before the first media timeout. The Colonels outscored UCA 14-3 during the stretch to put the lead at 30.

With less than three minutes remaining in the game, Garrick tied the mark with his final 3-ball and Clement followed with the record-breaking 22nd 3-pointer, which put Nicholls at 100 points.

Nicholls totaled 22 assists on its 33 made field goals, with Johnson just missing on a double-double with nine assists.

UCA struggled from the field, making 17 of 58 for the game. Tanner Schmidt was the lone Bear in double figures with 10.

UP NEXT
The Colonels continue their five-game homestand to close out the regular season with a rematch against McNeese on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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