HOUSTON – HBU sophomore guard Rob Lewis scored a career-high 28 points, but Nicholls State claimed a 75-62 victory over the Huskies in Southland Conference basketball Thursday night at Sharp Gym.
 
Lewis shot 9-fo-19 from the field, 2-for-7 from three, and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Freshman forward Colter Lasher added 10 points and four rebounds, while junior guard Marcel Smith had seven points and four assists. Junior center Ricmonds Vilde led the Huskies (5-24, 2-15 SLC) with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks.
 
Jeremy Smith led four Colonels (13-13, 10-7) in double figures with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Dantrell Thomas had 13 points and nine rebounds, T.J. Carpenter also had 13 points, and Shane Rillieux had 11 points for Nicholls.
 
Nicholls shot 50 percent from the field for the game, 5-for-15 from behind the arc, and 20-for-26 from the free throw line. HBU shot 35 percent, only 3-for-16 from long range, and 19-for-28 from the line. The Colonels outrebounded the Huskies, 38-33.
 
The Colonels led by 15 with 5:34 left in the first half, but HBU outscored Nicholls, 11-4, for the remainder of the period to cut the deficit to 34-26 at halftime. Lewis had 14 to lead the Huskies, while Smith had 12 for the Colonels. Nicholls shot 58 percent, 2-for-7 from 3-point range, and 2-for-2 from the line, while HBU shot 31 percent, 2-for-9 from long distance, and 4-for-8 from the stripe.
 
Nicholls took a 41-26 lead with 17:52 remaining in the game, but HBU stormed back and cut the Colonels' lead to two at 50-48 with just under nine minutes to go. Nicholls responded by scoring the next 10 to extend its lead back to 12 and put the game away.
 
The Huskies wrap up the regular season when they host McNeese State Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Sharp Gym. HBU will be honoring the 30^th anniversary of the 1983-84 team's NCAA Tournament appearance. Several members of that special team, as well as the coaching staff, will be on hand for a pregame ceremony.