DUDLEY, Mass. – The top-seed #22 Nichols College men's basketball team will host No. 4-seed Roger Williams University in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Semifinal matchup on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center
 
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Attending the game? Tickets are $5 for adults and seniors, while children under 12 get in free. Nichols students will also get in free with ID. Fans are encouraged to arrive early since seating is limited, however the indoor track will be open for standing room seating.
 
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Nichols cruised to a 100-68 victory over No. 8 Western New England in the CCC Quarterfinals on Tuesday night, picking up their ninth-straight win. Junior Marcos Echevarria led all scorers with 21 points and six assists to pace five players in double-figures for the Bison. Senior Daequon Antoine (17p, 8r), sophomore DeAnte Bruton (15p, 5r, 7a), freshman Matt Morrow (15p, 11r), and freshman Nate Tenaglia (13p) joined Echevarria as the leading scorers.
 
Roger Williams entered the postseason with two straight losses, but the Hawks re-entered the winning column on Tuesday night with an 88-81 win over the No. 5-seed University of New England. Junior Austin Coene posted a double-double of 35 points and 13 rebounds, while senior Nick Marini added 20 points and six assists to lead the Hawks to victory.
 
 
BISON VS. HAWKS SERIES HISTORY
Nichols and Roger Williams have met 51 times in program history, and the Bison hold a 30-21 advantage in the matchup. The Bison are currently riding a 10-game winning streak against the Hawks, including a pair of wins this season.
 
In their first meeting back in December, Echevarria scored 25 points, while Antoine added 24 of his own to lead the Bison to a 91-79 win in Bristol, R.I. Jerome Cunningham (16p, 9r) and DeAnte Bruton (9p, 9a) nearly had double-doubles for Nichols as well.
 
Just over a month ago, Roger Williams took a 44-37 lead into halftime over the Bison in Dudley, but Nichols used a 15-3 run early in the second half, and pulled away late for the 82-79 win. Echevarria led the Bison with 22 points, with Antoine adding 18 more against the Hawks.
 
Austin Coene paced Roger Williams with 25 points and nine rebounds, and the junior is averaging 23 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game against Nichols this season.
 
 
NICHOLS LEADERS (23-3)
#4 Marcos Echevarria (21.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 105 3PTM) – CCC Player of the Year, All-CCC First Team
#1 DeAnte Bruton (16.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.0 spg) – All-CCC First Team
#2 Daequon Antoine (14.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.8 spg, 77 3PTM) – All-CCC Third Team
#3 Tyler Dion (11.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 44.1% 3FG, 84.4% FT)
#13 Jerome Cunningham (11.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.1 bpg) – All-CCC Third Team
 
 
ROGER WILLIAMS LEADERS (18-8)
#23 Austin Coene (23.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.0 spg, 54.3% FG, 46.9% 3FG) – All-CCC First Team
#1 Nick Marini (14.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 56.2% FG) – All-CCC Second Team
#30 Conor O'Brien (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 bpg) – All-CCC Third Team
#20 Jaylen Jennings (10.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 apg, 83.3% FT)
#5 Rich Pugliese (9.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 47 3PTM, 41.6% 3FG)
 
 
Commonwealth Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
CCC Quarterfinals – Tuesday, February 20th
#1 Nichols 100, #8 Western New England 68
#2 Gordon 99, #7 Salve Regina 85
#3 Endicott 83, #6 Wentworth 74
#4 Roger Williams 88, #5 U New England 81
 
CCC Semifinals – Thursday, February 22nd
#4 Roger Williams at #1 Nichols, 7:00 p.m.
#3 Endicott at #2 Gordon, 7:00 p.m.
 
CCC Finals – Saturday, February 24th
Semifinal winners at highest seed, TBA