Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Junior Matt Langadas (Sebago, Maine) scored a team-high 16 points in Nichols College's 83-68 loss to Eastern Connecticut State Tuesday night in non-conference men's basketball action at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Senior Sam Horning (Falmouth, Maine) added 15 points – including three 3-pointers – for the Bison (1-1), who were outrebounded 48-37 and shot just 50 percent (12-of-24) from the charity stripe. Senior captain Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) – who was named Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Week on Monday – was held to nine points on 2-of-13 shooting.

Senior Mike Garrow (Terryville, Conn.) recorded a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds to lead five Warriors (2-1) in double-digits. Classmate Brian Salzillo (North Haven, Conn.) poured in a game-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting as he connected on six treys in 38 minutes of action. ECSU shot a scorching 52 percent from the field and made 50 percent of its three-point attempts (8-of-16).

Nichols was held without a field goal for the first 9:01 of the contest before a layup by Sheehan cut its deficit to 11 points at 15-4. A layup and a triple from Salzillo two minutes later pushed the Warriors lead to 14 at 24-10 before the Bison closed the half on a 19-8 run to send them to the locker room down only three (32-29). Langadas led all scorers with 11 in the first half while Salzillo netted eight to pace the Warriors.

Back-to-back fast break layups from sophomore Jalen Hurst (Hartford, Conn.) to open the second half gave Nichols its first lead since 19:23 of the first half at 33-32. Eastern Connecticut responded with a 13-2 run to move ahead 45-35 following a three from Salzillo.

The Bison fought back and cut the Warriors lead to one on a pair of free throws from Horning at the 10:08 mark, but a three-point play from sophomore Trachone Preston (Enfield, Conn.) 90 seconds later pushed the Warriors lead back to eight at 59-51. Sophomore Irving Eggleston (East Lyme, Conn.) made a layup with 6:49 to play to bring Nichols to within four (64-60), but the Warriors responded with a 19-8 run to close the game. A three from junior Brandon Yarborough (Stamford, Conn.), followed by another from Salzillo and a fast break dunk by freshman Hugo Lindo (Enfield, Conn.), swelled the lead to 18 with 3:28 remaining.

"Their seniors outplayed out seniors," said Nichols second-year head coach Jeff Lindgren. "They had leaders that made a ton of plays that our juniors and seniors didn't. They're a really good basketball team that's going to win 20 to 25 games this year. Our upper classmen just didn't play well like upper classmen."

Preston finished with 11 points and seven dimes for the Warriors while Lindo went off for 11 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. Hurst scored nine points for Nichols – which committed only nine turnovers – while Eggleston's night ended with seven points, five boards and two assists.

The Bison return to action on Friday when they face UMass Boston at 8 p.m. in the first round of the Amherst Tournament. The Warriors travel to Purchase, N.Y. to play in the AJ Buchanan Classic Friday and Saturday.