DUDLEY, MASS. – In the opening round of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Men's Basketball Tournament, the top-seeded Nichols men's basketball team erased a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 8 Gordon on Tuesday night at the Nichols Athletic Center by the score of 96-84. With the win, the Bison improved their record to 21-5, while Gordon finishes the season with a 10-16 (6-12 CCC) record.
 
Gordon got out to an early seven-point lead with 12:48 remaining in the first half. Nichols went on a 9-0 run, capped off by a steal and layup by Ty Rucker to retake the lead. The Fighting Scots answered back with a big run of their own to give them a 16-point lead late in the half. The Bison were able to shrink the lead to nine before the break, trailing 50-41. Nichols was led by Tavon Jones, who poured in 10 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
 
The Bison stormed out of the second half, using a 16-4 run highlighted by a Rucker three-pointer while being fouled, to give themselves a 60-54 lead with just over seven minutes remaining. Gordon refused to go away, cutting the lead to three with 10:41 remaining, but another run by Nichols extended their lead to 11. The Fighting Scots pulled within seven thanks to a Zach Quanico three-pointer, but a steal and slam by Quincy Ferebee with three minutes remaining capped off the win for the Bison and pushed them into the semifinals.
 
Ferebee stuffed the stat sheet, scoring a team-high 23 points, while also adding seven assists, five rebounds, and six steals. Ty Rucker and Jakigh Dottin each pitched in with 20 points, while Matthew Alectus and Jones each recorded a double-double in the win.
 
Nichols advances to face No. 4 Wentworth on Thursday, February 23 in the CCC Semifinals after the Leopards defeated No. 5 Suffolk by the score of 72-60 on Tuesday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. from the Nichols Athletic Center. The matchup will mark the seventh-straight CCC semifinal appearance for the Bison, excluding the abbreviated 2020-2021 season.