THIBODAUX, LOUISIANA – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball goes in search of their third consecutive Southland Conference win on Saturday when they travel to Nicholls for a 3:30 tip-off.

The Cardinals (11-5, 3-3) have won their past two conference games and need one more to get above .500 in the conference for the first time this year.  UIW is the second highest scoring team in the nation this year with 85.4 points per game and they could potentially move into first place after Saturday's game.  The team is shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from three-point range plus they are second in the nation in free throws made per game.

UIW has three players scoring in double figures and three more players who average at least 8.0 points per game.  Senior Denzel Livingston (Houston/Waltrip HS) leads the Southland Conference and is second in the nation with 22.8 points per game while also contributing 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.  He is 43 points away from 1,500 career points.  Freshman Jontrell Walker (Aurora, IL/West Aurora HS) is one of the top scorers in the conference at 17.8 points per game and he has made 34 three-pointers.  Junior Kyle Hittle (New Braunfels/New Braunfels HS) chips in with 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

The Colonels (5-12, 2-5) played a tough early season schedule with games at UCLA, Wake Forest, Michigan and Wisconsin.  They have been outscored by an average of 73.4 to 61.6 per game this season.  Amin Torres leads the team with 12.2 points per game while T.J. Carpenter scores 10.0 points and grabs 4.6 rebounds per game.  Sam McBeath leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game.

Last year, the Cardinals defeated the Colonels, 69-67 on the road thanks to a last second layup by Mitchell Badillo (Houston/Cy Falls HS).
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