DUDLEY, Mass. – Following the team's 93-84 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Quarterfinals win, the top-seeded Nichols men's basketball team is set to square off against No. 2 Western New England in the championship round on Saturday, February 25.
The Bison used another balanced offensive attack to knock off No. 4 Wentworth on Thursday night, with five players scoring in double figures.
Jakigh Dottin led the way with 22 points, while
Matthew Alectus,
Tavon Jones, Ty Rucker, and
Quincy Ferebee all chipped in with double-digit scoring efforts. Alectus recorded his 18th double-double of the season with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Ferebee was all over the place, tallying eight rebounds and eight assists to go along with 16 points. Nichols was very efficient offensively, shooting 49.3% from the floor. The Bison also brought the intensity on the defensive end, forcing 23 turnovers to help secure their spot in the championship.
The Golden Bears defeated No. 3 Endicott, 79-71, on Thursday to advance in the playoffs, shooting 56.1% in the eight-point victory. Tim Restall, Gavin Greene, and Brian Geltner all scored 15 or more points to lead the Western New England offense. The Golden Bears used strong perimeter defense to upend the Gulls, holding them to just 6-28 shooting from beyond the arc.
Western New England is led by sophomore forward Jake Harrison who averaged 17.2 points per game on 56.1% shooting this season. Restall, Greene, and Geltner all average over 12 ppg for the Golden Bears, with Restall averaging a team-high 9.8 rebounds per game. Western New England is second in the conference in scoring (80.8) and first in shooting percentage (49.3%). Defensively, they hold opponents to an average of 68.8 ppg, good for first in the CCC.
The road team has won both matchups this season, with Western New England winning 86-72 on January 3 in Dudley, and Nichols winning an 83-81 overtime thriller, thanks to a last-second layup by Ferebee, at Western New England.
Dating back to the first meeting between the two squads on January 6, 2007, Nichols is 26-7 in the all-time series.
Tip-off on Saturday from the Nichols Athletic Center is set for 2:00 p.m. The gates will open at 1:00 p.m.
