THIBODAUX, La. (Interstat) — Nicholls State opened its men’s NCAA Division I basketball season with a 110-56 victory over visiting North American at Stopher Gym. The Colonels improved to 1-0 in a non-divisional matchup. North American finished with 56 points, while Nicholls State reached 110. Attendance at Stopher Gym was 1,103.

Nicholls State scored its 110 points on 84 possessions, producing an offensive rating of 131.5. The Colonels finished with six offensive rebounds, 16 assists, five blocks, nine turnovers and 10 fouls. They steadily pulled away from North American and protected their advantage throughout the second half.

The key stretch came early in the first half. After North American took a 6-5 lead, Jordan Matthews hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to put the Colonels ahead. Matthews connected from beyond the arc at 18:07, 16:46 and 16:02 remaining in the first half, turning a one-point deficit into an 11-6 lead. AJ Dent followed with a 3-pointer, Hunter Carter added a jumper off a turnover, and Dent threw down a dunk as Nicholls State moved ahead 18-9. The Colonels kept building from there, with Doyel Cockrill hitting a 3-pointer and a free throw, Sheridan Sharp scoring on a driving layup, and Cameron Simpson closing the first-half scoring with a 3-pointer. Nicholls State went into halftime with a commanding lead and kept North American at arm’s length after the break.

Nicholls State did not let up after halftime. Junior Sileu opened the second-half scoring with a layup, Christian Winborne hit a 3-pointer, and AJ Dent converted a layup and two free throws as the Colonels expanded their advantage. Jordan Matthews added another 3-pointer, and Jared Taylor made a hook shot and later a dunk. North American got occasional baskets from James Parker, Gabe James and Donovan Fears, but Nicholls State answered each time. Arop Arop became a factor inside after halftime, finishing several dunks and an alley-oop before adding a tip-in layup late. Cheikh Biteye and Jah-Mel Bruce also scored in the closing minutes as the Colonels completed the runaway win.

Sheridan Sharp paced Nicholls State with 14 points, three rebounds and six assists in 18 minutes. Arop Arop added 12 points and nine rebounds in 13 minutes. AJ Dent finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block in 18 minutes. Doyel Cockrill contributed eight points, three rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes. Jared Taylor had six points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 10 minutes. Hunter Carter scored nine points with one rebound, one assist and one block in 14 minutes. Jordan Matthews, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound guard from Houma, La., who attended Vandebilt Catholic High School, had 12 points, one rebound and two assists in 22 minutes. Junior Sileu added six points, four rebounds, two assists and one block in 14 minutes. Cameron Simpson scored 11 points in 11 minutes, and Cheikh Biteye had six points and two assists in 12 minutes.

North American opened the scoring when Jordan Hill made two free throws, and James Parker hit pullup jump shots early. Gabe James made a 3-pointer and scored on drives, while Donovan Fears hit a 3-pointer and made free throws. Ehiosasu Ogbomo contributed 3-pointers and layups, and Des’Raymond McKey and Ozmandias Savage also scored for North American. The visiting team could not sustain its early momentum once the Colonels began connecting from the perimeter and controlling the paint.

Nicholls State is scheduled to visit Tulane next. No projection, game simulator, point spread, betting line or over-under information was provided for this game.