DUDLEY, Mass. – Taking on the top team in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), the Endicott men's basketball team struggled to get consistent offensive output as the Gulls lost 75-60 to Nichols on the road Wednesday night. After scoring just five points in the first half, Endicott guard Lachlan Magee (Melbourne, Australia) scored 16 points in the second half but with a 17-point halftime deficit, the Gulls were unable to mount a comeback.
Endicott (14-8, 8-7 CCC) has lost five of their last six games and currently sits in fifth place in the league heading into their Saturday showdown with Curry (4-17, 3-11 CCC). Tip-off is at 3:00 pm in MacDonald Gymnasium. Prior to the start of the game, Endicott will take a moment to recognize both Magee and junior guard John Henault (Lunenburg, Mass.) who both joined the program's 1,000-point club this season.
Magee continued his stellar play over the last eight games with another 20-plus point effort, hitting 8-of-11 shots including 3-of-4 from three-point range, while coming up one rebound shy of his career-high with 12 boards. Wednesday's 21-point, 12-rebound double-double was the fourth of his career. His last double-double came back on December 13th, 2011 when Magee netted 34 points with 12 defensive rebounds, four assists, and two steals in a landslide win over Emmanuel.
Magee's effort was bested only by the CCC's second-leading scorer, Nichols senior forward Ryan Sheehan (North Attleboro, Mass.) who scored 21 points on 7-of-14 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Sheehan led a Bison squad that improved to 17-5 (13-2 CCC), a program best for single-season victories. Despite losing to Eastern Nazarene one week ago, Nichols has won 12 of their last 13 games and sit atop the league standings.
The Nichols bench outscored Endicott's 34-21 which included four players just shy of double figures including sophomore Irving Eggleston's (East Lyme, Conn.) nine-point effort in 17 minutes in a reserve role. Both Marlon Bennett (Stratford, Conn.) and Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) contributed with eight points apiece off the bench.
The Gulls pounded the boards and outrebounded Nichols 48-32 in the game, including 20 offensive rebounds which led to 16 second chance points. Magee led the team in rebounding followed by five caroms from freshman forward Daquan Sampson (Germantown, Md.). On the offensive glass, junior forward Tell White (New Castle, N.H.) and sophomore guard Chris Light (Derry, N.H.) led the team with three offensive rebounds each.
Light also took advantage of his seven minutes off the bench by hitting 3-of-5 shot attempts for six points. Endicott's second-highest scorer in the loss was junior big man Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Mass.) who hit 4-of-7 shots for eight points with four rebounds, a block, and a steal.
As a team, Endicott struggled offensively shooting just 38% overall and 25% (3-of-12) from beyond the arc. The Gulls committed 19 turnovers to just nine by Nichols.
