Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine - Sophomore Matt Langadas (Casco, Maine) poured in a game-high 22 points to send the Nichols College men's basketball team to a 90-76 win over the University of New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Saturday afternoon at the Harold Alfond Forum.

Junior Sam Horning (Falmouth, Maine) added a career-high 20 points - including four 3-point field goals - as the Bison won their second conference game this week and improved to 7-6 on the season (2-4 CCC). Junior Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) and sophomore Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) each scored 12 points as Nichols shot 59 percent for the game and 48 percent from behind the arc (14-of-29).

Nichols picked up assists on 25 of its 35 field goals, highlighted by a career-high nine from freshman Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.). Sophomore Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.) snared a team-high eight rebounds. 
 
For the Nor'easters, junior Charles Fenner III (Bronx, N.Y.) tallied 20 points to go with a game-best three steals. Classmate Joshua Butler (Nantucket, Mass.) threw down a trio of dunks and dropped in seven free throws on the way to 15 points, which became a double-double with his 11 rebounds.
 
Sophomore Jake Abel (Fairfield, Calif.) ended one assist shy of similar status, going for 12 points and nine helpers. Senior Conor Draleau (Shirley, Mass.) and freshman Devin Thompson (Winthrop, Mass.) scored eight points apiece in support for UNE.
 
The hosts shot 44.6 percent (29 of 65) from the field in the contest, and had a 30-19 edge in points-off-turnovers.
 
Neither side could hold onto the lead in the early-going, with nine changes in the initial 10:39. A 13-4 spurt by Nichols provide the first substantial separation and bumped the margin up as high as 10 (40-30), before the difference settled on eight (45-37) at intermission. Abel scored all of his points (12) in the first frame to keep the Nor'easters close, going 5-for-5 from the floor.
 
UNE cut into the deficit (48-45) as the second period began, and remained down just four with 14:33 left on the clock. Within the three minutes that ensued, the gap grew to 15 (65-50) behind a 14-3 run by the Bison. The visitors connected from deep on four consecutive possessions to spur the surge.
 
Although the hosts had it back down to 10 on three occasions in the moments that followed, Nichols executed a quick 8-2 span that increased the cushion to its highest point (86-67) with just a few minutes remaining.
 
Langadas and Horning combined for 29 of their 42 points after halftime, and were nearly matched by Fenner III and Butler in the stanza, as each registered 14 points for the Nor'easters. The bench for the Bison out-scored that of the opponent by 21-2 in the final 20 minutes.

The Bison return to action on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. home contest against Roger Williams. UNE hosts Eastern Nazarene Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Contributions from UNE sports information