Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) led four student-athletes in double-figures with 17 points in Nichols College's 84-81 loss to Eastern Nazarene College Thursday evening in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's basketball action at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Juniors Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) and Matt Langadas (Sebago, Maine), along with sophomore Irving Eggleston (East Lyme, Conn.), each netted 10 points as the Bison (15-5, 11-2 CCC) saw their 10-game win streak snapped by the Lions despite shooting 52 percent from the field.

Sophomore Eric Lynch (Alpharetta, Ga.) led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting (75 percent) and also snared seven rebounds for ENC, which improved to 15-4 on the season (9-4 CCC). Classmate Jaylen Owens (Johns Creek, Ga.) registered 15 points and eight dimes in 37 minutes of action while junior Lequan Gomes (Fairfield, Conn.) filled the stat sheet with 11 points and eight rebounds.

The two schools traded the lead 10 times in a back-and-forth first half which saw Nichols shoot 57 percent and Eastern Nazarene 44 percent. The Lions held lead for the first eight minutes of the contest and went ahead by six early on a layup by Owens. Bennett canned a triple at 11:57 to give Nichols its first lead at 15-13, and a three by Eggleston just over two minutes later gave the Bison their largest lead of the half at four (21-17).

In total, the contest was tied at eight different points during the opening stanza, including after 20 minutes of play (44-44). Lynch led all scorers with 13 while Gomes had seven to help pace the Lions. Nichols, meanwhile, was led by Eggleston with eight – including a pair of three's – while Langadas had seven. The teams combined for just seven turnovers.

Eastern Nazarene opened up an early five-point lead at 51-46 three minutes into the second half behind a pair of baskets by Owens and a three-pointer from sophomore Jeremy Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Nichols rallied back and twice took a five-point lead, the second of which came courtesy of a layup by senior Sam Horning (Falmouth, Maine) with 7:46 on the clock.

The Lions moved in front for good at 6:26 when Owens converted a layup. Their lead grew to five when Owens recorded a three-point play at 3:44, but the Bison were able to climb to within one point twice in the final 26 seconds. Two free throws from both Gomes and sophomore Justin Wagner (Oklahoma City, Okla.) kept ENC in front, and down by three with the ball and eight seconds remaining, the Bison could not get a shot off in an attempt to tie the game.

Eastern Nazarene held a slim 39-36 edge on the glass, canned 74 percent of its free throws on the evening, and scored 23 second-chance points. Nichols, meanwhile, saw its bench outscore the Lions 51-25. The Bison also blocked six shots, led by junior Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.) and sophomore Jalen Hurst (Hartford, Conn.) with two each.

Nichols plays at Western New England on Saturday. The Lions host Wentworth Saturday at 3 p.m.