BEVERLY, Mass. – The second-seeded Nichols College men's basketball team held off a late rally from first-seeded Endicott to capture its fourth straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship by a 76-75 score on Saturday evening at MacDonald Gymnasium.
Trailing 68-62 with 7:26 to play in the game, Endicott cut its deficit to one point on four separate occasions (68-67, 6:21 | 70-69, 3:45 | 73-72, 2:43 | 76-75, 00:38), but DeAnte Bruton (New London, Conn.) answered at the free throw line every time to secure the win for the Bison.
Bruton finished the contest with a game-high 38 points (12-27 FG, 2-9 3PT, 12-14 FT), 14 rebounds (all defensive), and two assists.
Meanwhile, for the Gulls, Keith Brown (Pelham N.H.) led the squad with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, a trio of blocks, and one steal.
Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) also compiled 21 points, while Billy Arseneault (Lynnfield, Mass.), and Matt McDevitt (Cumberland, Maine) chipped in with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Today's game featured two ties and 10 lead changes.
- The Bison held a 16-3 advantage in second chance points.
- Nichols extended its winning streak to nine straight games with today's victory.
WHAT'S NEXT
Nichols (20-8) has earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and will find out its first round opponent on Monday, March 2 at 12:30 PM. Endicott sees its 2019-20 season come to a close at 19-7 overall.
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(Photo Credit - Nick Grace '20)
