WENHAM, Mass. – Junior Irving Eggleston (East Lyme, Conn.) poured in a game-high 23 points as the Nichols College men's basketball team defeated defending Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champion Gordon College 68-57 Tuesday night at the Bennett Center.
Senior Matt Langadas (Sebago, Maine) added 19 points as the Bison (5-3, 3-0 CCC) canned 48 percent of their field goal attempts (24-of-50) and converted 20 Fighting Scots turnovers into 20 points. Nichols also protected the basketball as it committed just eight turnovers.
First-year head coach Tom Glynn played four of his five starters over 35 minutes and played just seven student-athletes, and the Bison responded with their third win in the last four meetings with Gordon. Nichols is 3-0 in conference play for the first time in program history.
Senior Jason Dempsey (Wallingford, Conn.) scored a team-high 21 points to pace Gordon (2-5, 1-2 CCC). Classmate Taylor Bajema (Whitinsville, Mass.) was the only other Gordon student-athlete in double-figures in scoring as he dropped in 11 points. Senior Hans Miersma (Whitinsville, Mass.) grabbed 11 rebounds but was held to just nine points.
Gordon took an early 10-4 lead behind baskets from Miersma, Dempsey, Bajema, and sophomore Dominic Paradis (Rochester, N.H.). The Bison's full-court press caused major problems for the Fighting Scots after that, forcing them to commit 17 first-half turnovers which led to 18 points. Nichols built a 10-point lead before settling into a 35-27 halftime advantage.
The Fighting Scots offense sputtered in the second half as they shot less than 40 percent and missed all six three-point attempts. Nichols, meanwhile, shot 44 percent and rattled in 13 of its 15 free throw attempts (87 percent). Eggleston found success off the dribble against the Scots, consistently beating Gordon to the cup in the second half. The junior made three of his six shots from the floor in the final half and was an impressive 11-of-12 at the line.
Junior guards Christian Horton (Rutland, Mass.) and Gustave Koumare (Harlem, N.Y.) each dished out four assists, while Koumare's five steals in the press gave the Scots fits. Joe Gallant (Salem, N.H.) had three blocks.
The Fighting Scots dominated the glass, outrebounding the undersized Bison 47-21, which led to 18 second-chance points. Dempsey was one board shy of a double-double as he finished with nine. Langadas led Nichols with six while Eggleston pulled down five.
The Bison close 2014 with a 6:00 p.m. contest at Mitchell on Thursday. Gordon plays at Lasell Sunday at 2 p.m.