UT Rio Grande Vaqueros vs Nicholls State Colonels Prediction, 2/9/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UTRGV Vaqueros vs Nicholls Colonels

Date: Monday, February 9, 2026

Location: David R. Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux, LA

TV: ESPN+

David R. Stopher Gymnasium is where the Nicholls Colonels (10-13) will take on the UTRGV Vaqueros (12-11) on Monday.

The UTRGV Vaqueros faced off with Houston Christian and notched a win by a score of 74-57 in their last game. UT Rio Grande wrapped up the game with a 43.6% field goal percentage (24 of 55) and knocked down 9 out of their 24 3-point attempts. When they shot from the free throw line, the Vaqueros buried 17 of their 18 attempts for a rate of 94.4%. When it comes to pulling down boards, they earned 39 with 11 of them being offensive. They also distributed 22 assists in this contest while forcing the other team into 7 turnovers and earning 3 steals. Concerning defense, UT Rio Grande allowed 33.3% from the floor on 20 of 60 shooting. Houston Christian earned 15 assists and had 7 steals in the matchup. In addition, Houston Christian grabbed 21 boards (5 offensive, 16 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Houston Christian went 76.9% from the free throw line by making 10 of 13 tries. They also made 7 of 25 shots from distance. In the matter of personal fouls, the Vaqueros ended up with 14 and Houston Christian recorded 15 personal fouls.

Filip Brankovic is a guy who came through in the matchup. He ended up shooting 66.7% from the field and dished out 2 dimes. He was on the court for 22 minutes and also pulled down 5 boards. He notched 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting.

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UT Rio Grande comes into this contest with a win-loss record of 12-11 for the season. They turn it over 11.8 times per contest and as a team they are committing 17.6 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, UT Rio Grande is grabbing 34.8 rebounds per game and has accounted for 386 assists on the season, which ranks 47th in college hoops in terms of passing. The Vaqueros are connecting on 37.3% on shots from 3-point land (212 of 569) and 74.3% from the free throw line. They average 75.0 points per contest (219th in the nation) while connecting on 46.8% from the field.

On the defensive end of the court, the Vaqueros are forcing 11.8 turnovers every game while drawing 15.8 personal fouls. They are 239th in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 326 conceded on the campaign. The Vaqueros defense is giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 41.2% (542 of 1,314) and they concede 34.3 boards per game as a unit. They are surrendering 31.6% on 3-point shots and they rank 72nd in Division 1 in opponents PPG (69.3).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Nicholls Colonels walked away with a victory by a final of 61-58 when they played Northwestern State. The Colonels were able to pull down 23 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 34 for the matchup. They also turned it over 10 times, while recording 6 steals for the game. Northwestern State was called for 18 fouls for the game which took the Colonels to the charity stripe for 17 tries. They were able to knock down 13 of them for a rate of 76.5%. In terms of 3-point shots, Nicholls State converted 6 out of 18 attempts (33.3%). When the game finished, the Colonels walked away from this one shooting 21 out of 55 from the field which had them shooting 38.2%. The Colonels permitted Northwestern State to make 19 out of 51 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 37.3% for the contest. They shot 20.0% from three-point range by going 4 of 20 and ended up going 16 of 20 from the free throw line (80.0%). Concerning cleaning the glass, Nicholls State allowed Northwestern State to collect 30 in total (9 on the offensive side).

Zee Hamoda was important for the Colonels in this contest. He made 6 of 16 for this game for a rate of 37.5%, and earned 8 rebounds. He recorded 16 points in his 40 mins of playing time and earned 3 dimes in the matchup.

Nicholls State has a mark of 10-13 on the year. As an offensive unit, the Colonels are connecting on 43.0% from the floor, which has them ranked 300th in D-1. Nicholls State has accounted for 1,688 points on the year (73.4 per game) and they pull down 31.0 boards per contest. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 13.3 times per contest (236th in college) and they are losing possession via turnover 12.0 times per game. The Colonels are committing 18.3 personal fouls per contest and they shoot 66.7% from the free throw line.

The Nicholls State defense gives up 35.0% on shots from 3-point land (164 of 469) and their opponents are connecting on 76.9% of their free throw shots. They have allowed 14.7 assists and 36.7 rebounds every game, ranking them 276th and 302nd in those categories. The Colonels defensively are ranked 235th in the country in points per game surrendered with 75.7. They are able to force 15.7 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 47.5% from the floor (337th in the country).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Nicholls State and under the total points

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