HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana will look to clinch a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament and complete a sweep of Nicholls when the Lions visit the Colonels Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Stopher Gym.

    Southeastern (15-13, 8-8 Southland) took a 72-44 victory over Nicholls (13-15, 6-9 Southland) in Hammond on Feb. 1. The Lions are in seventh place in the Southland, a game ahead of Central Arkansas and 1 1/2 games ahead of Nicholls with two games remaining. The top eight teams advance to the conference tournament scheduled for March 8-12 in Katy, Texas.

    Saturday's game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at www.LionSports.net/ listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio app. A link to live stats, provided by Nicholls, will be accessible on the men's basketball schedule page at LionSports.net.

    Southeastern is coming off one of its best offensive performances of the season in an 87-70 win over Central Arkansas in its home finale on Wednesday, shooting 57.6 percent from the field.

    Sophomore guard Marlain Veal tied a career-high with a game-high 28 points. Junior forward James Currington scored a career-high 16 points while tying a career best with 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Junior forward Eddy Polanco added 13 points and sophomore guard Dimi Cook and sophomore forward Moses Greenwood 10 apiece.

    Junior guard Jabbar Singleton with six and Polanco with five also tied their career highs for assists. Veal also had five assists as Southeastern recorded 22 overall against just 11 turnovers. The Lions also out-rebounded the Bears 37-35.

    Nicholls, meanwhile, stayed in contention for a tournament berth and picked up its first conference road win of the season, 77-68, at Incarnate Word on Thursday. Senior center Liam Thomas had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks, the latter tied for the most in a game in the nation this season.

    Senior guard Johnathan Bell also had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Junior guard Jahvaughn Powell led the Colonels with 18 points and eight assists. Junior guard Stevie Repichowski and senior forward Ja'Dante' Frye added 10 points apiece.

    Southeastern goes into Saturday's game averaging 71.3 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting, including a league fourth-best 36.9 percent on 3-pointers. The Lions lead the conference in scoring defense (67.9 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage defense (42.6 percent). Southeastern is also third in the league in rebounding offense (36.5 rpg), defense (32.4 rpg) and margin (plus-4.1).

    Veal ranks 13th in the Southland in scoring (13.6 ppg), tied for fifth in the conference in assists (4.6 apg) and is ninth in steals (1.7 spg). Junior guard Davon Hayes, who has a team-high 19 double-digit scoring games, is averaging 12.7 points per game. Senior center Dominic Nelson (4.0 ppg) ranks 10th in the SLC in rebounding (6.7 rpg).

    Currington (8.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Singleton (4.5 ppg, 74 assists) are the other starters for Southeastern. Greenwood (11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg), fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.573), leads the Lions off the bench.

    Saturday's game will feature two of the top shot blockers in the country. Thomas (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) leads the NCAA with 4.0 blocks per game while Nelson is fourth in the league and tied for 41st nationally (2.07 bpg). Nicholls is the conference leader with 5.0 blocks per game while Southeastern is fourth with 3.4.

    Nicholls comes into Saturday averaging 75.0 points on 42.5 percent from the field. The Colonels lead the Southland in free throw percentage at 73.3 percent while shooting 34.7 percent on 3s.

    Nicholls is giving up 79.7 points on 47.1 percent shooting, including 39.7 percent on 3s. The Colonels are pulling down 33.1 rebounds while allowing 40.0.

    Bell (13.1 ppg), Powell (10.9 ppg, league-leading 89.2 FT%, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg), Thomas, Repichowski (8.1 ppg) and senior forward Adam Ward (1.7 ppg) are the projected starters for the Colonels. Frye (14.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is Nicholls' leading scorer off the bench while junior guard Lafayette Rutledge is averaging 11.1 points in a reserve role.

    Southeastern out-scored Nicholls 47-18 in the second half in the teams' earlier meeting this season. The Lions held Nicholls to 14 field goals and 29.8 percent shooting overall in allowing their fewest points in a Southland game since a 50-43 win over Nicholls on March 5, 2011.

    Hayes led Southeastern with 20 points while Greenwood contributed a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Junior forward Eddy Polanco added 11 points while tying a career-high with nine rebounds. Bell had 12 points to lead Nicholls while Powell tossed in 11.

    Southeastern leads the series 50-44. Nicholls is 25-21 against the Lions at Stopher Gym, including a 64-45 win in the 2015-16 regular season finale.

    Southeastern closes out the 2016-17 regular season at New Orleans Thursday at 7:45 p.m.