East Texas A&M Lions vs Nicholls State Colonels Prediction, 1/3/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: East Texas A&M Lions vs Nicholls Colonels

Date: Saturday, January 3, 2026

Location: David R. Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, LA

TV: ESPN+

David R. Stopher Gymnasium is the site where the Nicholls Colonels (5-8) will meet the East Texas A&M Lions (6-8) on Saturday.

The East Texas A&M Lions played Lamar and went home with a loss by a final score of 69-62 in their last game. East Texas A&M finished with a 37.3% field goal percentage (19 of 51) and made 10 of their 29 3-point shots. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Lions converted 14 of their 16 attempts for a percentage of 87.5%. Regarding pulling down boards, they compiled 29 with 6 of them being of the offensive variety. They also dished out 13 assists in this matchup while creating 9 turnovers and earning 8 steals. Regarding defense, East Texas A&M allowed the other team to shoot 40.6% from the floor on 26 of 64 shooting. Lamar distributed 12 dimes and had 7 steals for the game. Additionally, Lamar grabbed 37 rebounds (13 offensive, 24 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Lamar finished 70.6% at the free throw line by making 12 of 17 shots. They knocked down 5 out of their 16 tries from downtown. With respect to fouls, the Lions left the arena with 20 while Lamar had 13 fouls.

Ronnie Harrison is one guy who had an impact for the game. He ended up scoring 19 points on 6 of 11 shooting. He played for 27 minutes and also collected 6 boards. He walked away from this one shooting 54.5% from the field and earned 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Tonight

East Texas A&M comes into this game with a win-loss record of 6-8 so far this year. They turn the ball over 14.3 times per contest and as a unit they commit 18.1 fouls per contest. As a unit, East Texas A&M is pulling down 33.9 boards per contest and has accounted for 241 assists this season, which ranks 49th in the country in terms of passing. The Lions are shooting 34.4% on 3-pointers (134 of 389) and 69.2% from the free throw line. They have an average of 74.1 points per game (264th in the nation) while going 44.0% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Lions are forcing their opponents into 14.3 turnovers per game while drawing 15.4 fouls. They are currently ranked 305th in the nation in giving up assists with 214 surrendered on the season. The Lions are allowing a shooting percentage of 45.7% (381 of 834) and they relinquish 37.4 boards per game as a squad. They are giving up 36.2% from 3-point land while they are 253rd in Division 1 in points per game allowed (76.2).

When they last played, the Nicholls Colonels went home victorious with a score of 71-69 when they played UT Rio Grande. In regard to how they rebounded, Nicholls State permitted UT Rio Grande to pull down 31 in all (11 on the offensive side). They finished 34.8% from 3-point land by shooting 8 of 23 and ended up going 11 of 14 from the free throw line (78.6%). The Colonels permitted UT Rio Grande to make 25 out of 56 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 44.6% in this game. When the final whistle blew, the Colonels shot 23 for 51 from the field which gave them a rate of 45.1%. In the matter of shooting from downtown, Nicholls State buried 8 of their 23 attempts (34.8%). They were able to knock down 17 of them for a rate of 70.8%. UT Rio Grande earned 18 personal fouls for this game which took the Colonels to the charity stripe for 24 shots. They coughed up the ball 16 times, while getting 10 steals for the game. The Colonels were able to corral 18 defensive rebounds and 8 offensive rebounds for a total of 26 in the matchup.

Jalik Dunkley ended up being a factor for the Colonels for the game. He made 8 of 13 for the matchup giving him a field goal percentage of 61.5%, and totaled 12 rebounds. He racked up 22 points in his 37 minutes on the court and had 2 dimes for the matchup.

Nicholls State has a mark of 5-8 this year. As an offense, the Colonels are connecting on 44.3% from the field, which ranks them 252nd in college. Nicholls State has tallied 978 pts so far this year (75.2 per contest) and they pull in 31.2 rebounds per contest. Their rate of earning assists is at 13.6 times per contest (243rd in the country) and they lose possession via turnover 11.8 times per contest. The Colonels commit 18.8 personal fouls every game and they shoot 66.7% from the charity stripe.

The Colonels on the defensive end are ranked 263rd in college hoops in points given up per game with 76.7. They are forcing their opponents into 15.9 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 48.8% from the field (351st in D-1). The Nicholls State defense concedes 37.4% on 3-point attempts (95 of 254) and their opponents are converting on 75.8% of their foul shots. They allow 15.4 assists and 35.5 boards every game, which ranks 295th and 239th in the nation.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take East Texas A&M

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.