BIDDEFORD, ME. (1/3/2026) - The Nichols College men's basketball team couldn't complete the comeback tonight against the University of New England, dropping in a hard fought 88-93 in the Harold Alfond Forum.

Nichols drop to 7-6 (2-2 CNE) on the season, while the Nor'Easters rise to 6-6 (2-1 CNE) on the year.

All five starters finished in double figures in the loss. Graduate student Dominic Mello continued his hot streak, leading the Bison with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, knocking down a three and adding three assists. Senior Oliver St. Louis played a key supporting role, recording his fifth double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field and converting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Senior Javen Flowers-Smith added 15 points, leading the team with four assists while also contributing defensively with two steals. Junior Ethan Minarik delivered his second perfect shooting performance of the season, going 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc to finish with 12 points. Junior Luke Chapman chipped in 10 points, while senior Darrell Hardge anchored the defense with a team-high three blocks. As a team, the Bison shot 30-of-54 (55.6%) from the field, 9-of-22 (40.9%) from three-point range, and 19-of-24 (79.2%) from the free-throw line.

The Bison came out firing in the opening half, surging to their largest lead of the game as a fastbreak layup from Flowers-Smith pushed Nichols ahead 22–10 over UNE at the 11:31 mark. The Nor'easters refused to fold, slowly chipping away at the deficit by raining shots from deep, but the Bison continued to answer every run. A timely three from Chapman helped Nichols maintain a firm grip on the lead as the momentum swung back and forth.UNE continued to apply pressure, trimming the margin as the clock wound down toward the final two minutes of the half. Then the Nor'easters struck from beyond the arc to deadlock the contest at 33. With just 33 seconds remaining, UNE drilled another three-pointer to seize a one-point advantage, riding the late surge and carrying the advantage into the locker room at the break after an and-one opportunity built a 4 point lead.

Nichols stormed out of the locker room with purpose and energy, quickly tying the game four times within the opening two minutes of the second half. The Bison found their rhythm in the paint, stringing together six straight points on layups from St. Louis, Chapman, and Minarik. With neither side willing to give an inch, the contest turned into a back-and-forth battle as both teams searched for separation. Every basket was answered — a UNE layup was countered by a Mello three, and a Chapman triple was immediately matched by a deep ball from the Nor'easters. Momentum swung relentlessly, with the Bison fighting from the back foot until the 5:58 mark, when Mello knocked down two free throws to give Nichols its first lead of the half. However, the advantage was short-lived, as the Nor'easters rallied back after crucial fouls from Chapman and Mello resulted in both players fouling out. UNE closed the game at the free-throw line, sealing an 88–93 victory.

The Bison return to Dudley for their next conference matchup, hosting Wentworth Institute of Technology in their first home contest of the new year on Tuesday, January 6, at 7:30 p.m.