Box Score

Highlights: Charter TV 3

DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) scored 18 points off the bench for Nichols College, which dropped a 71-64 decision to local rival Clark (MA) University in non-conference men's basketball action Tuesday night at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Junior Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) added a team-high 19 from the field as the Bison (3-3) suffered their third-straight defeat. Nichols knocked down over 50 percent of its three-point attempts (13-of-25) but was outrebounded 39-27.

Graduate student Travis Curley (Trumbull, Conn.) led all scorers with 23 points – including five 3-point field goals – as the Cougars moved to 4-2 with the win. Classmate and leading-scorer Brian Vayda (Sturbridge, Mass.) posted a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 14 boards while graduate student DJ Bailey (Palmer, Mass.) went for 13 points and three assists.

Clark raced out to a 9-0 lead behind five points from Bailey before the Bison regrouped and quickly knotted the game at 12 on a three-pointer by freshman Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.). Nichols took its first lead of the contest (22-19) when Koumane nailed his second triple of the contest with eight minutes left in the opening stanza. Bennett sank two three's late in the half before a basket by junior Nicholas DePrato (Marshfield, Mass.) sent the teams to the locker room tied at 30. Bennett led all scorers with 12 points on 4-of-6 from downtown while Curley's 11 led the Cougars.

The second half started much like the first half for Nichols, which saw their opponent scored 14 of the first 16 points and build a 44-32 less than four minutes in. Bailey sparked the run with six points. The Bison closed to within nine (56-47) with seven minutes and change remaining following a three-point play by Sheehan and later cut their deficit to nine on a three from Sheehan. However, Clark made six free throws down the stretch to seal the win against their cross-town rivals.

Koumare finished the evening with a career-high 11 points and a team-high four assists as the Bison received 36 points from their bench. They also turned 17 Cougar turnovers into 23 points but allowed them to shoot 46 percent from the field. Nichols missed six of its 11 attempts from the charity stripe.

The Bison head to Eastern Connecticut State for a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday. Clark heads to Becker on Thursday for an 8 p.m. contest.