Colonels continue to master overtime play with 87-84 win at Texas A&M-Commerce

The first 40 minutes of basketball have become just an extended warm-up period for the Nicholls men’s basketball team.

For the fifth time this season, and fourth in Southland Conference play, the Colonels played an overtime game – in fact, they went to double-overtime.

It was only the second overtime game of the year for Texas A&M-Commerce and the first in SLC play. Again, the more experienced team playing extra minutes eked out the win.

In a game that featured 25 league changes, eight ties, several scoring sprees and scoring droughts, Nicholls came out on top 87-84 in double-overtime Saturday afternoon in Commerce, Texas.

The win improved Nicholls to 5-2 in the conference and 10-10 overall. Commerce fell to 1-5 in the SLC and 7-12 overall.

Diante Smith, who had a career-high 29 points, hit a 3-point shot with 30 seconds left in regulation to force the game to overtime at 65-65.

Nicholls hit the first wo baskets of the initial overtime to lead by four points before the teams, as they had done throughout the game, traded baskets.

Two free throws by the Lions’ Kwo Agwa with 12 seconds left in overtime gave Texas A&M-Commerce a 77-74 lead with nine seconds left in the game.

Smith hit a 3-pointer with one second remaining to send the game to a second overtime with the score 77-77.

The lead changed hands three times in the second overtime, with the final one proving to be the difference for the Colonels.

A basket by Tommie Lewis left the Lions trailing 84-82 with 15 seconds left in the second overtime.

Two free throws by Byron Ireland put Nicholls on top 86-82 with 10 seconds left in the game.

Lewis drove quickly for an uncontested layup to make it 86-84 with 5.8 seconds remaining in the second overtime.

Commerce was forced to foul, with Rob Brown going to the free-throw line. He hit 1 of 2 with four seconds showing, giving the Lions one last desperation chance.

James Weathers’ heave was off the mark, allowing Nicholls to come away with another overtime triumph.

Along with his career-high point total, Smith also had 11 rebounds. Ireland tossed in 21 points while Brown and Jamal West had 16 each.

Lewis led Texas A&M-Commerce with 26 points. Kalen Williams had 16 points, Zondrick Garrett 15, and Agwa 10. Garrett led the team with seven rebounds.

The Colonels were 32 of 58 (55 percent) from the field, including 8 of 18 (44 percent) from 3-point range.

Commerce was 27 of 65 from the field (42 percent), 11 of 31 (35 percent) from 3-point distance.

Nicholls finished with 44 points in the paint compared to 28 for Commerce.

Despite Texas A&M-Commerce opening the game shooting 3 of 15 from the field, the Colonels managed only a 29-27 lead at halftime.

Smith did most of the scoring for Nicholls, tossing in 13 points in the first half.

A 7-0 run by Nicholls on a 3-pointer by Brown, along with driving layups by Smith and Brown gave the Colonels their biggest lead of the first half at six points, 11-5.

With Nicholls leading 13-7 when Garrett went on a personal 9-0 run. He scored on 3-pointer, a free throw, a dunk, and a three-point play that allowed Commerce to pull ahead 16-13 at the 8:21 mark of the first half.

Smith ended the Lions’ run and a scoring drought of 4:10 on a 3-pointer to tie the game 16-16 with 7:55 to go in the opening half.

Following the tie, the teams traded the lead eight times. There were 11 lead changes in the first half.

Nicholls managed to pull ahead by four points before Williams hit two free throws with one second remaining for the 29-27 halftime score.

Along with Smith’s 13-point effort, Brown added 10 for Nicholls in the first half.

All of Garrett’s team-high nine points in the first half for the Lions came during his personal scoring spree.

The Lions beat Nicholls on the offensive boards in the first half, 6-1.