WENHAM, Mass. – Sophomore Marcos Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points and sank the game-winning basket as time expired to lift the Nichols College men's basketball team to an 85-84 win over Gordon College Tuesday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference action at the Bennett Center.             
 
Echevarria added five rebounds, four assist, and three steals and, with the Bison down one and time winding down, drove the lane and let go of a floater from the right side of the paint that fell through the basket as the horn sounded. Freshman DeAnte Bruton (New London, Conn.) filled the stat sheet with 22 points, six dimes, and four rebounds as the Bison turned 16 Gordon turnovers into 35 points. Nichols also shot 87 percent from the free throw line (13-of-15) and canned 12 3-pointers.
 
Sophomore Garrisson Duvivier (Brockton, Mass.) paced the Fighting Scots with 23 points and also pulled down nine rebounds, handed out four assists, and picked up three blocks. Sophomore Eric Demers (Acushnet, Mass.) netted 19 points while senior Sam Johnson (Chatham, Mass.) posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Gordon shot 48 percent from the field and rattled home eight of its 14 three-point attempts (57 percent).
 
The Fighting Scots held a three-point halftime lead (41-38) behind 12 points from Duvivier and 10 from Demers. Nichols featured a balanced scoring attack as it received seven from both Bruton and Echevarria, six from freshman Tyler Dion (Barre, Mass.), and five each from senior Devin Stallings (Waterbury, Conn.) and sophomore Josiah Kimball (Saint Johnsbury, Vt.).
 
Stallings put the Bison ahead by one at 72-71 with a three from the top of the key with 6:12 to go. Following a thunderous block by Stallings at the other end of the floor, Echevarria banged a pull-up three to increase the lead to four with 4:51 to go.
 
Later, Demers put Gordon ahead by two with a three with 97 seconds remaining, and Duvivier pushed the lead to four with a jumper with 1:15 to go. Bruton rattled home a three with 42 ticks on the clock to cut the Bison's deficit to one before Echevarria stole the ball, got fouled, and sank both free throws to put Nichols ahead 83-82 with 19 seconds remaining.
 
Duvivier was fouled on the ensuing possession and nailed both, giving Gordon a one-point lead with 10 seconds left. Echevarria then took the inbounds pass, drove the length of the floor, and score the game-winning basket.  
 
Gordon outrebounded Nichols 46-36 and scored 62 of its 84 points in the paint.
 
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked the 40th all-time meeting between Gordon College and Nichols College. The win extends the Bison's win streak to five and they now lead the series, 21-19.
 
Next Games
Nichols (9-2, 4-0 CCC) – Thursday, January 5 vs Curry, 5:30 p.m.
Gordon (6-5, 3-1 CCC) – Thursday, January 5 @ Endicott, 7:30 p.m.