A 16-2 second-half run by Islanders in second half sinks Colonels in 69-59 loss

First-year Nicholls men’s coach Tevon Saddler often talks of basketball being a game of runs.

He also has lamented how after his Colonels go on a run, they have to find ways to prevent other teams from following suit and not be so much, as he calls it “a roller coaster.”

The roller coaster was in full display for the Colonels on Saturday night at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

An eight-point halftime deficit for Nicholls reached nine points early in the second half before the Colonels went on a 10-0 to take a 37-36 lead less than five minutes into the period.

After Nicholls took a 40-38 lead on a 3-pointer by Diante Smith, the Islanders went on a 16-2 run for a 54-42 advantage to effectively put the game away on the way to handing the Colonels a 69-59 defeat.

The loss dropped Nicholls to 3-2 in the Southland Conference and 8-10 overall. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi improved to 4-1 in the conference and 11-7 overall.

A 3-pointer by Owen Dease gave the Islanders a 36-27 lead before Nicholls went on its 10-0 run.

Rob Brown and Smith hit 3-pointers. After two Jamal West free throws, Smith scored to put Nicholls on top 37-36 at the 15:33 mark of the second half.

Nicholls went up by as much as two points before the Islanders one-upped the Colonels’ run.

Dayne Prim started the spree with a 3-pointer to put Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on top 41-40.

Jumpers by Dian Wright-Forde and Tedrick Washington, along with a three-point play by Marion Humphrey when he hit a free throw after being fouled as he scored on a layup to extend the Islanders’ lead to 48-40.

A jumper by Mekhi Collins allowed Nicholls to make it a six-point game at the 10:25 mark of the second half, but it proved to be only a short reprieve for the Colonels.

The Islanders answered with baskets by Garry Clark, Dease, and Wright-Forde to stretch the lead to 12 points at 54-42 with 9:10 left in the game.

Corpus Christi’s 16-2 run came in a span of 3:19.

The Islanders took their biggest lead of the game at 13 points when a layup by Stephen Giwa made the score 60-47 on their way to handing the Colonels a 69-59 loss.

Smith scored 20 points for Nicholls while West chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Clark led all players with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Wright-Forde added 14 points.

Nicholls was 18 of 51 (35.3 percent) from the field and 6 of 15 (40 percent) from 3-point range.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was 27 of 68 (39.7 percent) from the field and 3 of 16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range.

The Islanders had 46 points in the paint and a 28-10 edge in bench points.

Corpus Christi led the entire first half.

Leading 20-16, the Islanders outscored the Colonels 7-1 to build a 10-point lead at 27-17.

Corpus Christi’s points came on a dunk and layup by Clark and a 3-pointer by Prim. The only point for the Colonels in that span came on a Byron Ireland free throw.

The largest lead for the Islanders in the first half was 11 points when a jumper in the lane by Clark put Corpus Christi on top 31-20 with 4:15 remaining before halftime.