Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Junior Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) scored a game-high 27 points in Nichols College's 88-85 overtime loss to Western New England University in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Sophomore Matt Langadas (Casco, Maine) was also one of four Bison student-athletes in double figures as he recorded 13 points and a team-high nine boards. Sophomore Jessy Michaud (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and senior Justin Kuntz (Wallingford, Conn.) added 11 and 10 points, respectively, as Nichols lost its second-straight contest to fall to 3-2 (0-2 CCC) on the season.

Junior Dennis Rinaldi (Harrison, N.Y.) paced four Golden Bears (2-3, 2-0 CCC) in double figures with 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Senior Damon Alston (New Britain, Conn.) chipped in with 16 points while junior Ryan Mickiewicz (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and sophomore Musa Elsir (Springfield, Mass.) each scored 10 points.

Nichols trailed for all but 13 second of the first half and fell behind by as many as 10 following a layup by Austin with four minutes remaining in the stanza. The Bison answered with a 10-4 run to close the half, sparked by four steals off the bench from freshman Christian Horton (Rutland, Mass.) and five points from Sheehan. Three different student-athletes recorded six points each to pace Western New England through the opening 20 minutes.

The Bison took their first lead since the opening seconds of the game on a triple by Michaud five minutes into the second half. They build a seven-point lead at 58-51 midway through the second half behind five points from Sheehan and a pair of baskets by senior Kyle Mascilak (Sparta, N.J.).

Senior Craig Merrick (Ledyard, Conn.) drained a jumper with 3:22 remaining that extended the Bison lead to seven at 71-64 before the Golden Bears scored 10 of the next 13 points to pull even at the end of regulation. Alston sank a three-pointer to start the comeback before Mickiewicz put WNE ahead by one with a three with 27 seconds remaining. Langadas sent the game to OT by hitting one of two free throw attempts.

In the extra session, Rinaldi staked the Golden Bears to an early lead with a pair of layups in the opening minute, and freshman DeWayne Wynn, Jr. (Bristol, Conn.) knocked down a three to go up five at 3:25 remaining. Michaud connected from long range to bring Nichols to within three with 1:45 remaining, and later a layup by Kuntz made the score 87-85 with nine seconds remaining. Mickiewicz then hit one of two from the line, giving the Bison a chance to tie the game with a last second shot, but Kuntz fall-away three was off the mark.

Western New England owned the glass, outrebounding the Bison 49-32, and made 14-of-18 from the line, compared to 11-of-20 for the Bison. Both teams shot the ball well as Nichols posted a 48.5 field goal pct. while the Golden Bears shot 47.2 percent.

Michaud finished the contest with five steals and four dimes while Langadas dished out five assists. Freshman Zack Askew (Middletown, Conn.) tallied three blocks for the visitors while Wynn collected four assists.

The Bison return to action on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. home contest against Clark (MA). The Golden Bears host Springfield Tuesday at 7 p.m.