BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Sam Horning's (Falmouth, Maine) conversion of a second-chance opportunity with 3.8 seconds lifted the Nichols College men's basketball team to a 62-61 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in the regular-season finale for both squads.
Horning's heroics came after Leopard senior Scott Moran (Orange, Conn.) was fouled on a 3-point attempt and buried all three shots to give the hosts a 61-60 lead with 10.1 seconds left.
The win improves the Bison's record to 20-5 overall and will be the top seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament after sporting a 16-2 record in league play. Wentworth closes out the regular season with an 11-14 record and will be the number seven seed in the CCC Tournament after finishing with an 8-10 record.
After junior Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.) converted a layup 1:38 into the contest, Wentworth went on a 10-1 run to take a 12-5 lead after a senior Derek Mayo (Casco, Maine) steal and layup. Nichols used a 7-1 run and cut the deficit to one on a jumper by sophomore Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) jumper with 11:47 left. A 3-pointer from freshman Jherson Colon (Boston, Mass.) upped the lead to four before the Bison scored six of the next eight points to tie the game at 18-all on a senior Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) layup with 8:59 left in the half.
The Leopards scored the next six points as Mayo drained a three and sophomore Cam Sennick (Wilton, Maine) converted a three-point play with 5:00 left, but the Bison would hold the hosts off the board for the remainder of the half and took a 25-24 lead on a 3-pointer from Koumare as time expired.
Horning gave Nichols a three-point lead to open the second half before a 14-4 run – capped off by a 3-pointer from Moran – gave Wentworth a 38-31 lead. The Leopards extended their lead to 10 with 11:23 left on another shot from behind the arc from Moran before the Bison used a 10-2 run and closed the gap to two on a basket by Koumare with 8:42 left.
Wentworth would lead by as many as six with 3:54 left as Moran buried his fourth trifecta of the game to give the Black & Gold a 54-48 lead. Horning converted a three-point play to cut the lead in half before Colon hit a layup to make it a 56-51 game with 2:42 left.
Kourame drained a 3-pointer, and, after junior Nico Donato (Glastonbury, Conn.) hit two free throws to give Wentworth a 58-54 lead with 1:54 left, Kourmare hit four consecutive free throws to knot the score at 58-all with 1:12 left and hit a jumper with 28 ticks left to give Nichols a 60-58 lead.
Moran lined up for a 3-point attempt from the right corner and was fouled in the act, giving him three shots. After hitting all three to give the Leopards a 61-60 lead, Nichols called a timeout. Koumare had an open look, but his layup attempt missed and Horning would get the offensive rebound and put it home to give the Bison the lead. A last-second attempt by Wentworth was short, giving Nichols their 20th win of the season.
Koumare came off the bench to score a game-high 24 points as he went 8-for-11 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the line. He also added four rebounds, three assists, and three steals and was the lone Nichols player in double figures. Horning finished with nine points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Colon led the Leopards with 17 points, going 6-for-8 from the floor, to go along with three rebounds, and four assists. Moran added 15 points and three assists while Mayo chipped in with 11 points.
Nichols will host eighth-seeded Western New England in a quarterfinal round game on Tuesday While Wentworth will travel to second-seeded Eastern Nazarene. Both games begin at 7:00 p.m.
March 3, 2014
Colon Named CCC Rookie of the Week
February 27, 2014
Men's Basketball Falls to Gordon in CCC Semifinals
February 25, 2014
Mayo, Colon Named All-Commonwealth Coast Conference
February 25, 2014
Men's Basketball Pulls off Upset at Eastern Nazarene
February 22, 2014
Men's Basketball Edged in Regular-Season Finale
February 22, 2014
CCC Men's Basketball Tournament Pairings Set
February 19, 2014
Strong Second Half Powers Endicott Past Men's Basketball
February 15, 2014
Men's Basketball Edged at Roger Williams
February 12, 2014
Donato's Buzzer Beater Lifts Men's Basketball Past Western New England
February 8, 2014
Men's Basketball Suffers Setback at Eastern Nazarene
February 4, 2014
Men's Basketball Cruises to 10th Win of the Season
February 1, 2014
Second Half Run Pushes Gordon Past Men's Basketball
January 29, 2014
Men's Basketball Sees Three-Game Skid Come to and End
January 23, 2014
Endicott Works Overtime to Defeat Men's Basketball
January 20, 2014
Colon Repeats as Rookie of the Week
January 18, 2014
Men's Basketball Falls at Nichols
January 15, 2014
Men's Basketball Holds on For Win
January 13, 2014
Colon Earns CCC Rookie of the Week Honors
January 11, 2014
Men's Basketball Rallies Past Roger Williams
January 9, 2014
Men's Basketball Win Streak Halted by Eastern Nazarene
January 7, 2014
Long-Range Shooting Helps Men's Basketball Win Third Straight
January 4, 2014
Strong Defensive Effort Lifts Men's Basketball to Win at Gordon
December 31, 2013
Men's Basketball Rolls to Win Over Maine-Fort Kent
December 30, 2013
Vassar Fends Off Men's Basketball
December 9, 2013
Colon Earns CCC Rookie Rookie of the Week Honors
December 7, 2013
Balanced Attack Paces Men's Basketball to Win over Curry
December 4, 2013
Men's Basketball Falls in Conference Opener
November 26, 2013
Men's Basketball Pulls Away in Second Half
November 25, 2013
Turner Named CCC Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week
November 23, 2013
Tufts Rallies in Second Half to Defeat Men's Basketball
November 21, 2013
Clark Overtakes Men's Basketball in Second Half
November 16, 2013
Late Run Pushes Framingham State Past Men's Basketball
November 15, 2013
Men's Basketball Opens Season With a Win
November 15, 2013
Men's Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh in CCC Pre-Season Poll
October 19, 2013
Five Inducted Into Athletic Hall of Fame
July 23, 2013
Arlen Galloway Named Head Men's Basketball Coach