PROVIDENCE, R.I. (12/11/23) - A two-point jumper as time expired proved to be the difference as the Nichols College men's basketball team lost to Rhode Island College, 60-58 in a non-conference contest on Monday evening at The Murray Center.

With the loss, the Bison fall to 6-3 (1-1 CCC) on the season, while the Anchormen improve to 10-2 (3-0 LEC).

The Bison had a pair of players score in double figures, led by senior guard Tavon Jones, who secured 17 points along with eight rebounds, and six steals. Fellow senior Mykel Derring tacked on 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists in the effort. As a team, Nichols shot 19-of-57 (33.3%) from the field.

The Bison established some early dominance in the opening half with an 11-3 lead, highlighted by three consecutive three-pointers by Jason Ofcarcik, Tavon Jones and Dominic Mello. However, the hosts quickly turned the tides on the Bison, who they held to just a pair of made free throws across a 5:30 span, outscoring them 12-2 to take a 15-13 lead. Nichols then spent the remainder of the first half rediscovering their offensive composure, which guided them to a seven-point, 30-23 lead over the Anchormen entering the intermission.

In the second half, Rhode Island college utilized a 7-0 run to draw even with the Bison at 37-all with 14:22 remaining. The two teams then continued to trade baskets at either end of the court, with each denying the opponent any sizeable lead as a result. Fast-forwarding to the 1:53 mark, Derring put the Bison up by five points following a layup assisted by Jones, only to see RIC collect the next four points to pull back within one. Then, with 00:12 remaining, Dominic Mello converted on a pair of free throws to restore a three-point lead for the Bison, but a foul from behind the arc on the next drive then sent the Anchormen to the charity line for three shots. All three would be made by the RIC, tying the game at 58-58 with 00:02 to play.

In the following sequence, the Anchormen picked-off the Bison inbound play, which in turn led to the made jumper from just inside the three-point line at the buzzer, dealing Nichols the 60-58 loss.

The Bison will now head into the holiday break and will return to action on Friday, December 29^th for a non-conference, road matchup against The University of Southern Maine (5-4, 1-2 LEC) for a 3:00 PM tipoff at Hill Gymnasium.