DUDLEY, Mass. (2/8/2025) – The Nichols College men's basketball team fell behind early in the first half against in-state rival Western New England University on Saturday, resulting in an 81-60 setback against their conference opponent at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The Bison have their three-game win streak snapped with the loss and fall to 11-10 (8-6 CNE) overall. With the win, the Golden Bears improve to 16-5 (12-2 CNE).

The Bison shot 39.3 (24-for-61) percent from the field and were led by Simon Percy who finished the game with 18 points, eight boards, and two steals. Javen Flowers-Smith also finished with 18 points in the effort, additionally securing three helpers.

The Bison were held to just one field goal through the game's opening six minutes, all the while WNE quickly went to work with a 19-3 lead, scoring 10 of those points in the paint. A driving layup by Flowers-Smith, promptly followed by an Ethan Minarik catch-and-release three halted the Bison scoring drought to make it a 19-8 ballgame, but the Golden Bears continued to find ways to score, increasing their lead to as many as 23 points down the line. The half concluded with the Golden Bears nailing a buzzer-beating triple, giving them a 47-24 lead at the break.  

WNE came out of the locker room and scored the first two baskets of the second half, but saw the Bison counter with a 10-2 run that cut the lead down to 58-42, with Percy and Flowers-Smith combining for eight of the points. Nichols continued to whittle away at the difference, moving as close as 16 points on a three-pointer by Ethan Minarik with 11:54 left, but no closer as WNE gradually expanded its lead to 25 points on a layup at 6:43, giving them enough of a cushion to secure the eventual 81-60 victory.

With just four regular season games remaining, the Bison will look to rebound on Tuesday, February 11^th with a road game at Endicott College (15-6, 12-2 CNE) beginning at 7:30 PM.