COMMERCE – The late rally by the East Texas A&M University men's basketball team came up just short as the Lions fell 72-68 on Saturday evening to the Nicholls Colonels at the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House.
 
The Colonels had a lead as big as 13 in the game and were up by 11 with less than 10 minutes left in the game, but the Lions cut the deficit down to three with 2:46 left and came to as close as two points of the Colonels in the final minute, but could not tie or take the lead.
 
The Lions fall to 8-14 overall and 3-9 in Southland Conference play, having lost two in a row. Nicholls snapped a five-game losing streak by taking the season series over the Lions. The Colonels are 9-13 overall and 8-5 in SLC play.
 
Both teams exchanged the lead in the early minutes, but the Colonels pulled ahead to a game-best 34-21 as part of a 9-0 run with 2:34 left in the first half. The Lions were held to just five points in the final nine minutes of the first half, while the Colonels scored 11 to lead by 10 at the break.
 
In the second half, a 12-4 run brought the Lions within 61-58 with 2:46 left. Gianni Hunt (Lakewood, Calif.) drilled a three-pointer with 37 seconds left to bring the Lions within 67-65, but the Colonels answered with an and-one on the other end.
 
Ronnie Harrison (Forney) scored 20 along with five rebounds and three steals for the Lions, while Hunt added 16 points and six rebounds as well as seven assists. Noah Pagotto (Wollongong, Australia) also added 12 points and six rebounds.
 
For the Colonels, Jalik Dunkley tallied 20 points and seven rebounds.
 

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The Lions host New Orleans on Monday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LionAthletics.com/tickets.