Colonels host Lamar in battle of teams looking to move to 3-0 in SLC play

Three games into a conference schedule are too early to declare a game a showdown, but when Nicholls hosts Lamar at 3 p.m. Saturday, the winner will come away with a bit of a leg up in the initial weeks of the Southland Conference race.

Nicholls (7-8 overall) and Lamar are two of only four SLC teams to still remain unbeaten in conference play, each at 2-0. Also at 2-0 are McNeese and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

The Nicholls men’s basketball team has won its first two Southland contests in a different fashion.

In the Colonels’ most recent outing last Tuesday over Southeastern Louisiana, the Colonels defense clamped down on the Lions in taking a 66-61 triumph.

Diante Smith scored 18 points in the win, while Jamal West and Rob Brown contributed 16 each in a game in which the Colonels never trailed. Byron Ireland recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

In Nicholls’ SLC opener two days earlier, the Colonels won a high-scoring affair 99-94.

Smith knocked down a 30-footer with 5.2 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Smith opened the overtime period with another 3-pointer, giving the Colonels their first lead since a 14-13 edge at the 14:52 mark of the first half.

Nicholls led by as many as five points before the Huskies tied the game with 1:04 left in overtime on a free throw by Bonke Maring with 1:04 left in the game.

It came down to free throws. Smith hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to secure a 98-94 win for the Colonels.

Lamar goes into Saturday’s game 8-7 overall. The Cardinals are 2-0 in the Southland with wins of 90-70 over Northwestern State and 75-59 over Incarnate Word.

The Cardinals feature four double-figure scorers. Adam Hamilton is averaging 12.1 points per game, B.B. Knight 11.8, Terry Anderson 11.2, and Chris Pryor 10.6. Hamilton leads the team in rebounding with 7.3 rebounds per outing, with Anderson pulling down 5.8 per game.

Lamar is averaging 82 points per game to lead the Southland, shooting 44.6 percent from the field, and out-rebounding opponents by an average of 40.6-35.5.

The Cardinals’ 2-0 start in SLC play comes via wins of 90-70 over Northwestern State and 75-59 over the University of Incarnate Word.

In the win over Northwestern, the Cardinals had five players in double-figure scoring. Hamilton led the way with a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Lamar showed off its defense in its next outing, forcing UIW into 13 first-half turnovers and 6 of 25 shooting (24 percent).

UNO entered the week 6-9 overall. The Privateers went into the week 1-1 in the Southland with a 73-68 loss to Southeastern Louisiana and an 85-83 win over Texas A&M-Commerce.

The Privateers host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday.

Jordan Johnson leads the team in scoring overall, averaging 21.7 points per game Khaleb Rouse-Wilson is the only other double-figure scorer at 10.9. Jamond Vincent paces the teams in rebounding with 6.2 boards per game.

UNO is getting out-rebounded by an average of five rebounds per game.

The Privateers traded baskets throughout their game with Southeastern Louisiana before the Lions went on a 13-3 run in the second half to lead by eight points on their way to the win. Wilson-Rouse led UNO with 17 points.

Missing starters Wilson-Rouse and D’Ante Bell, Johnson filled the void with a 36-point effort in UNO’s win over Texas A&M-Commerce.