NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — Stephen F. Austin held off a late push from Nicholls State for an 81-78 men’s basketball victory Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Lumberjacks led 39-34 at halftime and maintained a narrow advantage throughout the second half. Zee Hamoda led all scorers with 24 points for the Colonels. Stephen F. Austin’s Lateef Patrick scored 20 points and Keon Thompson added 16 points and nine assists. Nicholls State shot 50% from the field and 50% from 3-point range but was out-rebounded 8-3 on the offensive glass. Stephen F. Austin improved to 25-3 overall, while Nicholls State fell to 11-17. Attendance was 4,212.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — In a game defined by explosive perimeter shooting and a frantic final minute, Stephen F. Austin survived a determined challenge from Nicholls State for an 81-78 victory in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Saturday night at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The contest, played before a crowd of 4,212, saw the Lumberjacks, one of the nation’s winningest teams, improve to 25-3 overall. The Colonels, despite a heroic individual effort, fell to 11-17. The most critical sequence unfolded in the game’s closing seconds. Trailing 78-77, Stephen F. Austin’s Keon Thompson drove the lane but missed a layup with 43 seconds remaining. The Lumberjacks retained possession on an offensive rebound and called a timeout with 41 seconds left. Out of the stoppage, the ball found its way to Jerald Colonel, who hit a floating jumper in the lane to put the Lumberjacks ahead 79-78 with 29 seconds on the clock. Nicholls State, with a chance to reclaim the lead, worked the ball to Sincere Malone, whose potential go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing missed with about 5 seconds remaining. On the rebound, Nicholls State’s Trae English was called for a foul on Stephen F. Austin’s Lateef Patrick, sending Patrick to the line for two shots with 5 seconds left. Patrick missed the first but calmly sank the second, extending the lead to 80-78. The Colonels, out of timeouts, rushed the ball upcourt. English drove for a tying layup but missed, and Stephen F. Austin’s Colonel secured the defensive rebound. He was immediately fouled and made one of two free throws with under a second left for the final margin. The game was a stark contrast to the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 19, a 79-62 Stephen F. Austin win. This time, Nicholls State, led by a spectacular performance from Zee Hamoda, shot the lights out. The Colonels connected on 13 of 26 attempts from 3-point range, a 50 percent clip, and finished the game shooting 53.8 percent overall from the floor. Hamoda, a 6-foot-7 guard from Riffa, Bahrain, was nearly unstoppable, scoring 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc. He added a key block and played 37 minutes. Trae English supported him with 15 points and six assists, while Malone added 13 points and five assists. Stephen F. Austin countered with its own deep shooting, making 13 of 33 from long range, and used its defensive activity to create advantages. The Lumberjacks recorded nine steals and three blocks, converting 15 points off 12 Nicholls State turnovers. They also won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing eight rebounds to the Colonels’ three, leading to 11 second-chance points. Thompson, the Lumberjacks’ floor general from Merrillville, Indiana, orchestrated the offense with 16 points and nine assists. Patrick, from Milton, Massachusetts, provided a major scoring punch off the bench with a game-high 20 points. Kam Burton of Houston added 15 points, all on 3-pointers, and Narit Chotikavanic of Plano chipped in 11. The first half set the tone for a shootout. Nicholls State hit five of its first seven 3-point attempts, jumping to an early lead before Stephen F. Austin responded with a 13-0 run. The Lumberjacks took a 39-34 lead into halftime, but the Colonels’ efficient offense, which posted an offensive rating of 117.8 for the game, ensured they were never out of reach. Nicholls State continued its hot shooting in the second half, repeatedly answering Stephen F. Austin pushes. A 3-pointer by Hamoda with 11:40 to play gave the Colonels a 62-59 lead, their largest of the half. The game then became a tense exchange of leads, featuring seven ties and 12 changes of possession, setting the stage for the dramatic final minute. Despite the loss, Nicholls State outperformed statistical expectations, having been given only a 7.2 percent chance to win by National Statistical’s ELO system. Stephen F. Austin’s victory marked its 11th win in its last 12 games, maintaining its position atop the conference standings.

Preview: Nicholls State Colonels at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks NACOGDOCHES, Texas (Interstat) — A clash of Southland Conference extremes is set for Saturday when the surging Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks host the struggling Nicholls State Colonels at William R. Johnson Coliseum. The Lumberjacks (24-3) enter as one of the nation’s hottest teams, riding a 12-game winning streak and boasting a perfect 14-0 record in conference play. Their dominance was on full display just over a month ago in a 79-62 road victory over these same Colonels. Conversely, Nicholls State (11-16, 4-10) has lost three of its last four and sits near the bottom of the league standings. The Colonels are coming off a 72-68 loss at Houston Christian on Monday. The matchup features two of the conference’s top guards in contrasting roles. Stephen F. Austin is powered by Keon Thompson, who has been on a scoring tear. He dropped 32 points in a win over Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 14 and is averaging 22.4 points over his last five games, providing consistent offensive firepower for the league leaders. Nicholls State will rely heavily on the playmaking of Trae English, who logged 40 minutes in each of his last two outings. He posted 17 points and six assists in the loss to Houston Christian and recorded 12 points and seven assists in a win at Incarnate Word on Feb. 14. Containing Thompson and maximizing English’s production will be critical for the Colonels’ chances at an upset. The Lumberjacks have been nearly unbeatable at home this season. Their defense, which held Nicholls to 62 points in the January meeting, anchors their success. The Colonels have shown offensive flashes, scoring 91 in a recent win, but have struggled with consistency. Stephen F. Austin can further solidify its hold on the conference regular-season title with a victory. For Nicholls State, the game represents a formidable opportunity to play spoiler and gain momentum for the final stretch before the conference tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.