DUDLEY, Mass. (11/25/24) – A slow start proved costly for the Nichols College men's basketball team on Monday night, as they fell in non-conference play to the University of Saint Joseph (CT), 85-62 at the Nichols Athletic Center.  

The Bison fall to 2-3 overall on the season, while the Blue Jays improve to 3-1.

Despite the setback, it was a career night for sophomore captain Simon Percy as he led the Bison with 20 points on 9-of-13 (69.2%) shooting, as well as a team-high seven boards. He would be the lone Nichols player to score in double-figures, with senior Dominic Mello just missing the mark with nine points of his own, and senior forward Ryan Savoy logging six rebounds.

The Bison would initially struggle out of the gate, with the Blue Jays jumping out to a 38-12 lead through the game's first 15 minutes of action. However, the tail end of the opening half brought better fortune to the Nichols side, as sophomore Ethan Minarik knocked down a three at 4:14 to introduce what would be a 14-2 run by the Bison to close out the half, additionally featuring five points from Percy. USJ, however, maintained a 14-point, 40-26 lead at the break.

In the second half, early layups from Percy and Javen Flowers-Smith got the Bison as close as 12 points at 42-30, but USJ delivered a steady offensive production down the stretch to re-extend their lead to as many as 25 points on two separate occasions. As a result, the Bison would never fully recover from the deficit, with the Blue Jays running away with the 85-62 win.  

Nichols will have the rest of the Thanksgiving week off before traveling to Western New England University (4-2) for their first Conference of New England bout of the season. Tip off against the Golden Bears is slated for 7:30 PM inside the Alumni Healthful Living Center.