BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman Marcos Echevarria's (Lynn, Mass.) two free throws with 45.9 seconds left gave the Nichols College men's basketball team a 78-77 lead and the Bison would hold on for an 82-77 triumph over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest played at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the win the Bison improve to 5-2 overall while the Leopards fall to 2-4. Both teams are 1-1 in the CCC.
Playing in front of its home crowd for the first time this season, Wentworth used a 12-0 run over a span of just over three minutes midway through the first half to turn a one-point deficit into an 11-point lead as senior Kyle Romich (Groton, Mass.) had 10 of his team's 12 points during this run.
After junior Brandon Marshall (Hartford, Conn.) converted a layup to make it a nine-point game, sophomore Jason Ganley (Northbridge, Mass.) drained a long-range shot to make it a 29-17 game with 8:29 left in the opening stanza. However, Nichols countered with a 24-4 run over the next five-plus minutes and took a 41-33 lead with 2:23 left in the half. Two free throws by Romich and a layup from senior Ian Therriault (Auburn, Maine) cut the deficit to four and three straight Bison points to close the half made it a 44-37 game at the break.
Echevarria scored 10 of his team's first 16 points as Nichols extended its lead to 20 (60-40) when he hit two free throws with 14:11 remaining. A 13-2 Wentworth run, capped off by a Ganley layup made it a nine-point game with 10:36 to play.
Seniors Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) Christian Horton (Rutland, Mass.) made it a 13-point game with 9:45 left before Wentworth cut the deficit to single digits on two occasions. After Nichols took a 72-59 lead with 5:51 left, the Leopards would use a 16-2 run to take a 75-74 lead on a sophomore Ceasar Fulcar (Watertown, Mass.) trifecta. Junior Devin Stallings (Waterbury, Conn.) and Ganley traded baskets to give Wentworth a 77-76 lead with 1:21 left. Stallings would miss a long-range jumper, however the Bison maintained possession off the rebound with a minute left.
Echevarria hit two free throws to give his team the lead for good, and, on Wentworth's next possession, a turnover lead to Horton hitting two free throws. Two missed Wentworth free throws gave the ball back to the Bison with 17 seconds left and Horton drained two from the line to seal the win.
Echevarria had a game-high 25 points while senior Irving Eggleston (East Lyme, Conn.) added 16 points and Koumare scored 11. Horton finished with eight points, six rebounds, and seven assists.
Romich ended the game with 24 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Ganley had 21 points and six rebounds, while freshman Dylan Reno (Franklin, Mass.) added 11 points.
Wentworth hosts Curry on Tuesday. That same night, Nichols hosts Newbury.
