Box Score

WORCESTER, Mass. - Junior Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) dropped in a team-high 28 points to propel the Nichols College men's basketball team to a 95-88 win at Worcester State University in non-conference men's basketball action Tuesday night at Lancer Gymnasium.

Sophomore Jessy Michaud (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) recorded 18 points, five rebounds and two assists for the Bison, who snapped their four-game losing skid and evened their record at 4-4 heading into 2013. Sophomore Matt Langadas (Casco, Maine) chipped in with 16 points. 

Worcester State (5-3) was led by junior Dane Jobst (Athol, Mass.), who recorded his fifth double-double on the season with a game-high 40 points to go along with 14 boards. The total marked the most for a Lancer in nearly 18 years as it tied for the fifth-highest sum in program history.
 
Senior Kyle Ferreira (Westport, Mass.) also turned in a double-digit scoring effort adding 11 points in the defeat while third-year Jeremy Ross (Holden, Mass.) chipped in with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists.
 
Nichols held a 10-point lead at the midway point of the second half and a 78-69 advantage with 7:40 left. Jobst then netted six points in an eight-point swing to make it a 78-77 game at the 4:41 mark.
 
With the Lancers trailing 82-81 one minute later, Langadas sank a lay-up to make it a three-point contest. WSU missed its next three shots from the field and a one-and-one chance, giving Nichols a golden opportunity to extend its lead. The Bison took full advantage with a 6-2 run over the next 1:30 of play, highlighted by three points from Sheehan.
 
After a trey by Ferreira cut the WSU deficit to 90-86, the Lancers missed their chances to get back into the game with two more missed shots. Nichols, meanwhile, canned four-consecutive free throws to ice the game in the waning seconds and seal up the victory.
 
The opening frame featured five ties and five lead changes as Nichols emerged with the 45-44 edge at the intermission. Nichols held the lead for much of the final 10 minutes of the first stanza, but the Lancers did not trail by more than six with 3:49 left and tied the score on a sophomore Charles Gunter (Boston, Mass.) lay-up at the :55 second mark.
 
After the intermission, the Bison led 62-57 five minutes in, but used a 9-4 surge to take control and lead 71-61 with 10:26 remaining.
 
Nichols shot 59 percent (38-for-65) for the game - including a 66 percent effort in the second half (19-for-29). The Lancers hit a solid 43 percent for the contest (36-for-83).
 
The Bison connected on 10-of-22 three-point attempts (46 percent), but struggled from the free throw line as they hit just nine of their 18 bids (50 percent).
 
Worcester State was able to control the glass as it corralled 50 rebounds, compared to only 28 for Nichols. The hosts also held leads in points in the paint (52-50), points off turnovers (19-15) and second chance points (17-3). One-third of the Bison offense came by way of 35 fast-break points.
 
Nichols returns to action on January 2 with a 5:30 p.m. home contest against Westfield State. The Lancers close out their semester with Springfield on Friday night at 5 p.m. 

Contributions from Worcester State sports information