Jan. 29, 2008

THIBODAUX, La. - The Colonels will look to end their four-game slide when they travel to Natchitoches, La. on Thursday to take on the Demons of Northwestern State at 6:30 p.m.

Entering the game against Northwestern State, junior Ryan Bathie has 170 career made three-point shots, and is just three three-point buckets away from tying Robert Lee's school record of 173. Bathie currently leads the team in scoring with a 12.5 points per game average, and is also averaging a squad best 15.2 per game average in conference contests.

True freshman Anatoly Bose got his first career start against Southeastern La., and was in double-figures for the seventh consecutive game with 16 points. Bose is averaging 9.4 points per game overall, while boasting a 15.0 average in conference games. He also is averaging a team best 5.4 rebounds per game average in Southland contests.

The two teams split last year's two-game series with both teams winning on their opponents home floor. Nicholls defeated Northwestern State 93-92 in Natchitoches last season on a free throw by former Colonel Stefan Blaszczynski with half a second left to get the win. Junior Gil Verner had a career best 18-points to lead the Colonels to their first win in Prather Coliseum since the 2000-01 season.

Northwestern State (7-13, 3-3) enters the first of this season's two-games against the Colonels (6-14, 1-4) having lost their last three after starting out 3-0 in conference. During the Demons three game skid, they have suffered defeats at Texas-San Antonio (81-78 ot) and McNeese State (85-74) before returning to their home floor and losing to conference leading Lamar (91-82).

Like Northwestern State, Nicholls has also been on a losing streak having lost their last four games in conference play. The Colonels opened up the SLC slate of this season's schedule with a 58-57 buzzer beater victory against Stephen F. Austin, but have since suffered losses at Sam Houston State (61-51), Texas-Arlington (69-60), Texas State (93-84), and most recently at home against Southeastern La. (80-66).

During the Colonels four-game slide, Nicholls' opponents have shot an average 48.0 percent from field goal range and 40.2 percent from three-point territory, while the Colonels have a 38.2 percent mark from the floor and boast a 30.6 mark from downtown. Nicholls has also been out rebounded by an average of 10.5 rebounds per game during the four game stretch.

Northwestern State's Trey Gilder enters the contest against Nicholls as the conference's leading scorer with an average of 17.2 points per game. Standing out for the Colonels amongst conference stats is Bose as he holds the best field goal percentage (.449) of any freshman in the league, and also holds the Southland's third best free throw percentage (.854).

The game against the Demons can be heard locally on 105.9 FM KBZE and 640 AM KTIB starting with pre-game at 6:15 p.m. Brennan Matherne will provide the play-by-play action that can also be heard on the internet at www.kbze.com.

#######