Jan. 11, 2007
THIBODAUX, La. - Nicholls State guard Stefan Blaszczynski scored seven overtime points, including a driving lay up with 21.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Colonels to an 83-81 victory over UT-Arlington in a Southland Conference men's basketball game at Stopher Gym Thursday night.
Nicholls (2-15, 1-2) snapped a five-game losing streak while UT Arlington (5-10, 1-2) fell for the ninth time in 11 tries.
UT Arlington was led in scoring by sophomore guard Brandon Long with 21 points, all scored in the second half and overtime. Jermaine Griffin had 20 points while Ro'ger Guignard added a career-high 17. Blaszczynski had a game-high 27 points to lead four Nicholls State players in double figures. Adonis Gray had 16, Ryan Bathie chipped 13 and James Dixon chipped in 10 off the bench.
UT Arlington rallied from a 10-point second half deficit to take a 69-67 lead with 12.2 seconds left in regulation. Nicholls State came down for the final shot and Gray grabbed an air ball and laid it in to tie the game and force overtime.
In overtime, UT Arlington jumped out to the early lead. Long canned two free throws and Guignard a jumper in the first :30 of the period to take a 73-71 lead. Griffin's two free throws stretched the lead back to four, 75-71, with 4:07 to play before Nicholls turned the tables with a rare five-point play. Bathie nailed a 3-pointer on the left wing while teammate Blaszczynski made two free throws after being fouled by Larry Posey with 3:35 left to regain the lead, 76-75.
Gray canned a jumper to stretch the lead to 78-75 with 2:59 left in the overtime. Long tied the game with a 3-pointer with 2:43 to play. But Blaszczynski scored the Colonels last five points in the final 1:39 for an 83-78 lead before Long canned a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Nicholls controlled the tempo in the first half and led 39-31 at intermission. Griffin kept the Mavs in the game with 12 first-half points. Meanwhile, Nicholls canned six 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes to build a 28-17 lead after back-to-back slam dunks by James Dixon with 7:17 left in the half.
NOTES: Griffin scored in double figures for the eighth straight game... Griffin had two blocks and tied Roy Johnson for the career lead with 85 blocks... Guignard matched a career-high with five 3-pointers... the loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for the Mavs against Nicholls State... NSUs last win came Jan. 11, 2003, in Thibodaux, La.
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