CCC Interactive Bracket

DUDLEY, Mass. – After claiming at least a share of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular-season title for the ninth-straight season, the Nichols men's basketball team is set to host No. 8 Gordon on Tuesday, February 21 at the Nichols Athletic Center in a quest for the program's sixth-straight championship victory. Nichols finished the regular-season with a 20-5 overall record, while posting a 16-2 league ledger.
 
After beginning the season with a win at home over non-conference opponent Eastern Connecticut State, the Bison dropped a game at NESCAC opponent Trinity (CT). Following two victories over Anna Maria and New England College, Nichols took on No. 14 Middlebury at the Rick Martin/Hampton Inn Tournament, battling its first nationally-ranked opponent of the season hard the whole way, but eventually falling 91-80.
 
Following a win over Thomas (ME) before Thanksgiving break, Nichols opened up CCC play with a home loss to Roger Williams. The Bison would head home for the holidays with a 6-3 record after conference wins over Gordon and Curry.
 
Nichols returned to action on December 30, dropping their next two games, at Albertus Magnus and home versus Western New England. A 14-point win at Suffolk on January 5 got the Bison rolling, as they would go on to win 14 straight games, all in CCC play, highlighted by an 83-81 overtime victory on Saturday, January 28 at Western New England in which the team claimed the conference's top spot and never let slip away for the remainder of the regular-season.
 
The Bison, led by second-year head coach Brock Erickson, used an extremely balanced scoring attack to lead the CCC in points-per-game with 88.1. Five Nichols players averaged double-digits for the season, led by graduate student Matthew Alectus who averaged 17.5 ppg. Ty Rucker, Tavon Jones, Jakigh Dottin, and Quincy Ferebee all averaged greater than 13 ppg in the campaign. The team also led the league in rebounding (42.8 per game), headed by Alectus who pulled down a league-high 12.1 boards per game.
 
Also on the defensive end, the Bison forced a league-high 16.4 turnovers per game and held opponents to under 41% shooting. Nichols' defense on the perimeter was key all season, holding opponents to under 30% shooting from beyond the arc.
 
Gordon finished the season 10-15 (6-12 CCC) to earn the eight seed in the CCC Men's Basketball Tournament. The Fighting Scots are led by senior guard Garrett Sattazahn, who averaged 19.6 ppg. Gordon is efficient from downtown, shooting the three at a 34.2% clip, good enough for third in the conference.
 
Dating back to the first meeting between the teams in 2002, Nichols is 22-15 versus the Fighting Scots, winning the last four matchups and nine out of the last 10. The Bison are 10-8 all-time at home against Gordon.

The winner of Tuesday's matchup will advance to the CCC semifinals to take on the winner of No. 4 Wentworth and No. 5 Suffolk on Thursday evening.