THIBODAUX — Northwestern State clawed all the way back from a nine-point halftime deficit but came up just short Monday night, falling 74–72 to Nicholls in a tightly contested Southland Conference men's basketball battle at Stopher Gymnasium.

"It was a typical Southland game with two good teams," third-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. "The team that made the most plays down the stretch was going to win. We gave ourselves a chance, but we just couldn't get certain defensive stops that we needed. When you don't win a game like that, it stings more."

The Demons (4-11, 2-4) opened the game trading the lead with the Colonels as junior Izzy Miles and senior Micah Thomas combined to score 14 of their first 25 points. After a Thomas 3-pointer, Northwestern held a 25–24 advantage with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half.

Nicholls (7–8, 6–0) seized control late in the opening period, using a 13–0 run to build separation and closing the half by scoring 15 of the final 20 points to take a 40–31 lead into the break.

The Colonels capitalized in transition, finishing the first half with 12 fast-break points while forcing nine Demon turnovers.

"We didn't take care of the ball in the first half," Cabrera said. "We were very casual and not tough enough. Some of their steals led directly to baskets, and that hurt us."

Despite shooting 46.2 percent from the field in the opening half, Northwestern struggled to slow Nicholls in the open floor, allowing the Colonels to hold a 22–16 advantage in points in the paint at halftime.

The Demons responded immediately after intermission.

Willie Williams scored six points in the opening four minutes of the second half, igniting a 13–3 run that erased most of the deficit and trimmed the score to 43–41.

Miles then buried a 3-pointer at the 15:34 mark to give Northwestern its first lead since the opening minutes, part of a stretch where the Demons scored on seven of eight possessions.

"We just took better care of the ball, we were more aggressive and we got stops," Cabrera said. "We didn't have to call a ton of plays because we were defending and scoring in transition. That's how this team has to play."

The Demons leaned on their interior presence in the second half, outscoring Nicholls 24-20 in the paint and 8-1 in second-chance points after halftime.

Northwestern also shot 78.6 percent from the free-throw line in the second half, keeping pressure on the Colonels throughout the comeback.

The teams traded leads through the middle portion of the half, with Thomas and Miles repeatedly answering Nicholls baskets.

Thomas knocked down a key 3 at the 13:54 mark to push the Demons ahead 49–45, while Miles added a fast-break free throw moments later to extend the advantage to three.

Nicholls regrouped behind steady scoring from Jalik Dunkley and Jalin Rice, tying the game at 55 with just under 11 minutes remaining.

From there, the contest tightened into a possession-by-possession affair, featuring 10 ties and eight lead changes overall.

The Colonels briefly pulled ahead by six with under four minutes remaining, but Northwestern answered with consecutive baskets from Thomas to trim the deficit to two. After Nicholls extended the lead to four at the free-throw line, Thomas scored again in the paint with 21 seconds left to make it a one-point game.

Following two Nicholls free throws, Thomas converted a short jumper with 11 seconds remaining to cut the margin to 73–72. Nicholls added one final free throw, and Northwestern had a last look, but Chip Brunt's attempt at the buzzer missed right.

"We just didn't make the defensive play when it mattered," Cabrera said. "We gave up an open three, then a layup by helping up defensively. Those are plays we can't have. If someone makes a tough shot with a hand in their face, you live with it. Open shots are a problem."

Thomas led the Demons, tying his career high with 29 points, including 19 in the second half while shooting 10-of-20 from the field. Miles added 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Williams recorded his second straight double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

"Both Micah and Willie are all-conference-caliber players," Cabrera said. "They played a lot of minutes and did their part. We just need some other guys to help them so they can get some relief."

Northwestern finished the game shooting 46.4 percent from the field and held a 36–31 rebounding advantage, but Nicholls' edge in fast-break points (14-4) and bench scoring (23-11) proved decisive.

"Our margin for error is very slim, especially on the road," Cabrera said. "I'm confident we can compete with anybody, but we have to be smarter, more disciplined, and tougher."