Box Score THIBODAUX, La. – Playing its third game in six days with a short bench, a scrappy Southeastern Louisiana men's basketball team fell just short Saturday in a Southland Conference contest at Nicholls State, 64-61.
Southeastern (5-8, 0-2 Southland) had a chance to tie the game late, but a
Joshua Filmore three-point attempt kicked away with less than three seconds to play.
"We responded knowing there was a sense of urgency to take one of these two games," head coach Jim Yarbrough said. "Frankly I feel very good, bouncing back from Thursday with our third game in six days. The team responded with good performances from Devonte [Upson], [Onochie] Ochie and
Dre Evans. They responded to what was needed.
"The good news is every team deals with adversity. How you deal with it is big. We've had this bump in the road and I hope this is as bad as it gets. We start to get guys back this week and we're home for four games."
Statistically the game was just as close as the score. Nicholls (5-6, 2-0 Southland) out shot the Lions overall (49 percent to 45.2 percent), but Southeastern bettered the Colonels beyond the arc (31.6 percent to 28.6 percent) and at the free-throw line (81 percent to 75 percent). Each team hauled in 27 rebounds.
Upson finished one board shy of his second double-double as a Lion, dumping in 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
JaMichael Hawkins and Ochie bounced back offensively. Hawkins scored 15 points while Ochie added 12 to go with eight rebounds.
Dantrell Thomas led three Colonels in double-digit scoring, dropping in 21 to lead all players. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. T.J. Carpenter scored 13 and Jeremy Smith added 12 points for Nicholls.
"They're some good things to take out of this," Yarbrough said. "You witnessed a team that from Thursday to Saturday improved despite being shorthanded. Now we'll get Antonnio [Benton], and hopefully Jeff [Ricard], back this week. It will give us a whole new dimension."
Southeastern returns to the University Center for a four-game, conference homestand beginning Jan. 9 against Southland newcomer Incarnate Word. Abilene Christian (Jan. 11), Sam Houston State (Jan. 16) and Lamar (Jan. 18) will also make their way through Hammond, La., during the two-week span.
Tickets for all home games can be purchased at www.LionSports.net or by calling the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office, located in the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics, at (985) 549-LION.
SOUTHEASTERN LA. (5-8, 0-2 SLC)
Upson, Devonte 6-7 4-6 16; Hawkins, JaMichael 4-8 5-5 15; Evans, Dre 4-10 1-2 12; Ochie, Onochie 2-5 5-6 9; Filmore, Joshua 3-10 2-2 9; Cooper, Quin 0-0 0-0 0; Johnson, Forrest 0-0 0-0 0; Chiera, Julian 0-2 0-0 0; Ricard, Jeffery 0-0 0-0 0.
Totals 19-42 17-21 61.
NICHOLLS STATE (5-6, 2-0 SLC)
Thomas, Dantrell 6-10 9-11 21; Carpenter, T.J. 5-12 1-3 13; Smith, Jeremy 5-8 2-2 12; McBeath, Sam 3-5 0-0 7; Maciel, Pedro 2-2 0-0 4; Frye, J'Dante 1-2 0-0 3; Rillieux, Shane 1-5 0-0 2; Thomas, Liam 1-3 0-0 2; Torres, Amin 0-0 0-0 0; Doyle, Luke 0-2 0-0 0.
Totals 24-49 12-16 64.
Southeastern La........... 24 37 - 61
Nicholls State................ 28 36 - 64
3-point goals--Southeastern La. 6-19 (Evans, Dre 3-7; Hawkins, JaMichael 2-4; Filmore, Joshua 1-5; Chiera, Julian 0-1; Ochie, Onochie 0-2), Nicholls State 4-14 (Carpenter, T.J. 2-6; Frye, J'Dante 1-2; McBeath, Sam 1-3; Rillieux, Shane 0-1; Doyle, Luke 0-1; Smith, Jeremy 0-1).
Fouled out--Southeastern La.-None, Nicholls State-McBeath, Sam.
Rebounds--Southeastern La. 27 (Upson, Devonte 9), Nicholls State 27 (Thomas, Dantrell 7).
Assists--Southeastern La. 8 (Hawkins, JaMichael 3; Evans, Dre 3), Nicholls State 10 (Thomas, Dantrell 5).
Total fouls--Southeastern La. 17, Nicholls State 16.
Technical fouls--Southeastern La.-None, Nicholls State-None.
A-528
