THIBODAUX, La. – Despite allowing just 12 points, the Texas A&M University-Commerce football team fell 12-10 on a chilly Saturday afternoon to the Nicholls Colonels at John L. Guidry Stadium.
 
The Colonels did not allow a point in the final three quarters, while the Lion defense allowed just 10 points. A&M-Commerce falls to 5-5 on the season and concludes its first Southland Conference season with a record of 3-3. The Lions will finish fifth in the eight-team conference standings. Nicholls is 3-7 overall, with all three wins coming in conference play.
 
The Lions took the lead with 7:58 left in the game on a 32-yard field goal by Emmanuel Adagbon (Mesquite Horn). Both teams, on their first offensive drive, were held to punts.
 
Following a fourth down stop at the Nicholls' 47-yard line, the Lions added on to the lead with a nine-play 47-yard touchdown drive. Reggie Branch (Houston – Crosby) ran it in from five yards out for his third rushing touchdown of the year.
 
The Colonels scored their first points of the day with 6:34 left in the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Gavin Lasseigne. Those were the only points by either team in the second quarter. Lasseigne had another kick, from 46 yards out, with 1:13 left that went wide left.
 
Daryion Taylor (Humble – Atascocita) stalled a Nicholls scoring opportunity with an interception in the first half. The Lions were outgained, 161-104, in the first half.
 
The Lions got the ball first in the second half, but the drive was stalled with an interception thrown by Jaiave Magalei (Tacoma, Wash.), that was caught by Chase Brown. Nicholls capitalized on the Lion miscue with a 25-yard touchdown pass by Kohen Granier to Al'Dontre Davis to tie the game at 10.
 
Neither side was able to break the tie in the rest of the third quarter. Nicholls took the lead with 8:31 left in the game on a three-yard sack taken by Magalei in the back of the end zone for a safety. Eli Ennis had the sack on the safety for the Colonels.
 
Following the punt, the Lions' D'Ante Smith (Richardson – Berkner) picked up his fourth interception in the last three games to give the Lions the ball at their own 42-yard line. A&M-Commerce drove into Nicholls territory and had a chance to take the lead with a 47-yard field goal try. Adagbon's kick was directly into the wind and fell about five yards short of the goal post.
 
The Colonels gave the ball back to the Lions at their 16-yard line with 52 seconds left in the game. The Lions drove all the way down to the Colonel 38-yard line and took a shot to the end zone on the final play of the drive, but it was incomplete.
 
Magalei went 17 for 28 in the game, throwing for 117 yards and one interception. Zadock Dinkelmann (Somerset) had four completions in 10 tries for 62 yards. Branch had 52 receiving yards to go along with his 47 rushing yards.
 
Andrew Armstrong (Dallas – Bishop Dunne) and Keith Miller (The Colony) had five receptions for 38 yards each. Jullien Gums rushed for 124 yards on 21 carries for Nicholls.
 
Defensively, Taylor had 14 tackles, including tackles for loss and an interception. Darius Williams (Arlington Heights) recorded 10 tackles and a tackle for loss. Dee Walker (Moultrie, Ga.) had nine tackles.
 
Mitchell McGarry (Gregory-Portland) had eight punts, totaling 261 yards for an average of 32.6 yards.


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UP NEXT
The regular season concludes next Saturday at home against Tennessee State at 2 p.m. The Lions will honor their seniors prior to the game.