Box Score Box Score
THIBODAUX – Anatoly Bose recorded his 40th career game with 20 or more points, scoring a game-high 22, and Nicholls State remained unbeaten at home in eight games as it defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 66-52, in a Southland Conference game Saturday at Stopher Gym.
Fred Hunter added 13 points and nine rebounds for Nicholls (9-7, 3-2 Southland), which built a 34-22 lead at halftime and won its 11th straight game on its home floor – a streak that includes an identical 66-52 win over Tulane on Nov. 26. Southeastern, which plays at Central Arkansas on Wednesday, evened its record at 8-8 overall and 2-2 in Southland Conference play.
Both teams went scoreless for the first 3:31 to open the game before Hunter scored on a layup. After Southeastern tied the game at 2-2 on a basket by
Deshawn Patterson, the Colonels went on an 11-3 run capped by a 3-pointer by Hunter that gave Nicholls a 13-5 lead with 12:18 remaining in the first half.
After Southeastern cut the lead to 14-8 on a free throw by
Rodney Jones with 9:52 left, Nicholls pushed the lead to 19-8 as Hunter drained a 3-poitner and Dantrell Thomas hit a jumper in the lane. The Colonels, who were averaging 32 percent from behind the 3-point line entering the game, went 4-for-7 in the opening half and finished 8-for-15 from long range for the game.
Nicholls led 34-22 at halftime and put the game away with a 14-2 run to open the second half. The Colonels scored the first seven points of the second half as Hunter and Bose scored on short jumper and Kellan Carter drilled a 3-pointer – his first of the season – that gave Nicholls a 41-22 lead with 17:47 left.
Bose sank a pair of free throws and added a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16:23 left to give Nicholls its biggest lead of the game, 46-24.
Southeastern, which was led by
Brandon Fortenberry with 10 points, got as close as 13 points three times down the stretch. A jumper by freshman
Michael Harrel with 2:46 left cut the lead to 63-50, but Kenny Franklin added an off-balance jumper and Hunter sank a free throw to seal the game.
Southeastern finished 21-for-54 (39 percent) from the floor and 2-for-12 from behind the 3-point line. Jones added nine points for the Lions while Patterson, a Houma native and former Vandebilt Catholic product, pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds.
SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA (8-8, 2-2 SOUTHLAND)
Fortenberry 4-6 0-1 10; Jones 4-10 1-2 9; Harrel 2-3 2-2 6; Marks 2-3 2-3 6; Hutchin 3-11 0-0 6; Ndoumba 2-6 2-2 6; Patterson 2-10 1-2 5; Johnson 2-4 0-0 4; Dixon 0-1 0-0 0; Benton 0-0 0-0 0; Campbell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-54 8-12 52.
NICHOLLS STATE (9-7, 3-2 SOUTHLAND)
Bose 7-12 6-9 22; Hunter 5-9 1-4 13; Franklin 3-4 0-0 8; Thomas 4-9 0-1 8; Carter 2-5 1-3 6; Hammond 1-2 2-2 5; Moore 2-4 0-0 4; Ayers 0-2 0-0 0; Talkington 0-1 0-0 0; Martin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-49 10-19 66.
Halftime – Nicholls State 34, SLU 22. 3-point goals – SLU 2-12 (Fortenberry 2-3; Harrel 0-1; Hutchin 0-6; Patterson 0-2), Nicholls State 8-15 (Franklin 2-3; Hunter 2-3; Bose 2-4; Hammond 1-1; Carter 1-1; Talkington 0-1; Martin 0-1; Thomas 0-1). Fouled out - None. Rebounds – SLU 35 (Patterson 10), Nicholls State 34 (Hunter 9). Assists – SLU 7 (Fortenberry, Patterson 3), Nicholls State 13 (Thomas, Franklin 3). Total fouls – SLU 19, Nicholls State 16. Technical fouls - SLU Bench. A – 1,382.
