DUDLEY, Mass. (1/31/2026) – Despite closing the gap on several occasions, the Nichols College men's basketball team ultimately lost the race against conference opponent, and No. 15 ranked Endicott College on Saturday afternoon, falling by a score of 90-78 inside the Nichols Athletic Center.

The loss brings the Bison to 11-9 (6-5 CNE) on the season, while the Gulls jump to 18-1 (10-0 CNE) with their twelfth consecutive victory.

Senior Javen Flowers-Smith tied for the game high with 28 points on 12-of-24 (50.0%) shooting, while serving as Nichols' top playmaker in the effort with five assists. Junior Luke Chapman added 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, securing his third double-double performance of the campaign. Nichols finished the day shooting 31-of-66 (47.0%) from the field, including 8-of-20 (40.0%) from three and 59 bench points.

The two sides found themselves locked up at a 5-5 stalemate early on, with both finding early success from three. To follow, Endicott embarked on a 9-0 run with makes on four consecutive possessions, putting them in front by a 14-5 margin, a lead they would not surrender the remainder of the game. Following a 30-second timeout, the Bison quickly went to work narrowing the deficit thanks to a Flowers-Smith triple and inside makes from Chapman and Jason Peters, pulling them to within two points of the Gulls at 24-22 with 7:28 left in the half. Nichols would be forced to overcome another nine-point deficit down the stretch, but did so thanks seven unanswered points across a one-minute span, all of which belonged to Flowers-Smith. Despite Nichols' relentless comeback attempts, Endicott successfully added some insurance with a 9-0 run to close out the half, giving them a 48-38 edge at the break.

The Gulls kept their scoring streak alive to open the second half with five straight points in the first minute, all of which was part of a larger 10-2 run to make it a 56-38 ballgame. The difference proved to be a tough task for the Bison to tame, with Endicott maintaining their double-figure advantage past the midway point of the half. However, as was the case in the first half, Nichols eventually stole back the momentum and fired off a 9-0 run to shave Endicott's lead to under 10 with 5:52 to play, highlighted by a Cassidy Bonsu dunk. Down the stretch, the Gulls soon recovered and matched the Bison point-for-point to the final buzzer, securing their eventual 90-78 triumph.

Nichols returns to the road to face Wentworth Institute of Technology (1-17, 1-10 CNE) on Tuesday, February 3^rd. The conference tilt is set for 5:00 PM at Tansey Gymnasium.