Box Score

DUDLEY, Mass. – Sophomore Irving Eggleston (East Lyme, Mass.) scored a team-high 19 points to lift the Nichols College men's basketball team to an 82-65 win over Plymouth State University Wednesday afternoon in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Quarterfinals at the Nichols Athletic Center.

Freshman Taylor Sarette (Keene, N.H.) added a career-high 12 points to go along with six boards and two blocks as the top-seeded Bison improved to 23-6 on the season. They advance to meet No. 5 seed Lasell Saturday afternoon at Johnson & Wales (RI) University in Providence, R.I. The Lasers upset No. 4 seed Salve Regina 78-70 in Newport this evening.

Junior Matt Langadas (Sebago, Maine) scored nine points for Nichols while senior Sam Horning (Falmouth, Maine) and sophomore Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) each scored eight. Nichols shot 53 percent from the floor and received 63 of its 85 points from the bench.

Junior Alex Burt (Dover, N.H.) poured in a game-high 24 points for the Panthers (13-14), who also received 13 points and seven rebounds from freshman Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, N.H.). Senior Petey Skevas (Wethersfield, Conn.) went 1-for 12 from the field but did score his 1,000th career point with a pair of free throws in the first half.

Nichols jumped out to a 17-5 lead behind a pair of triples from Horning and four points from junior Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.). The Panthers responded with a 15-1 run to take the lead at 20-18 before Nichols closed the half on a 29-16 run to take an 11-point lead to the locker room (47-36). Eggleston led all scorers with 15 while Burt paced his squad with 10.

The Bison stretched their lead to 14 on a three from junior Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) just over five minutes into the second half, and a layup by classmate Chris Johnson (Mansfield, Mass.) less than a minute later pushed the lead to 16. A free throw by Gallant made it 70-53 Nichols with 9:48 on the clock, and after the Panthers climbed to within seven (70-63) with 5:31 remaining, Koumare scored six-straight to make it a 12-point game with 3:28 to go.

"It means a lot to be able to get some of our young guys some playing time and tournament experience," said Nichols second-year head coach Jeff Lindgren. "This is a meaningful tournament and we're going to do everything we can to win it. Our young guys played so well and I'm so proud of them. It's a testament to how good we are. Our seniors didn't play much and we still beat a very good basketball team in Plymouth State. We're excited to play this weekend."

The Panthers held a slim 38-37 edge on the glass and also committed 21 turnovers. The Bison were just as careless, committing 19 turnovers of their own, but were aided by their three-point shooting (7-of-17; 41 percent).