ASTON, Pa. – Freshman DeAnte Bruton (New London, Conn.) scored a game-high 28 points to propel the Nichols College men's basketball team to a 96-93 win over No. 11 Neumann University in the First Round of the NCAAA Tournament Friday night at The Mirenda Center.
 
Sophomore Marcos Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) chipped in with 18 points – including 10-for-10 from the charity stripe – and freshman Tyler Dion (Barre, Mass.) knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. Freshman Jerome Cunningham (Westbury, N.Y.) played the final eight minutes with four fouls and filled the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. The win marks the first win for the Bison in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
 
Neumann senior Carl Wallace (Philadelphia, Pa.) led five student-athletes in double figures with 23 points (11-of-19 FG) while classmate Darian Barnes (Yeadon, Pa.) went 10-of-10 from the line and finished with 22 points, a game-high 15 boards, six assists and four blocks. Senior DeShawn Lowman (Wilmington, Del.) posted 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Bruton led all student-athletes with 17 first-half points – including 4-of-4 from the free throw line – and also notched four rebounds and three dimes. Wallace and Lowman each netted 11 points for the Knights, who shot 50 percent in the opening frame. The Bison knocked down 49 percent of their shots, but were outrebounded 24-18.
 
The Knights opened up a 78-71 lead at 9:05 of the second following a layup by Lowman. The Bison answered with a 9-1 run to tie the game at 80 on a pair of free throws from Bruton with 6:26 remaining. Wallace gave his squad an 86-85 lead at the 3:15 mark with a layup, but Echevarria canned his second three of the game at the other end to put the Bison up two (88-86) at 2:58.
 
Barnes was then fouled and made both, tying the game at 88 with a shade over two minutes left. On the ensuing possession, Echevarria stole the ball and was fouled, and he made both to give NC a 90-88 lead. Following a Neumann turnover, Echevarria then made two more free throws to put NC up 92-88 with 1:13 remaining.
 
Neumann answered with a three to cut its deficit to one (92-91). At the other end, Echevarria drove the lane and dumped the ball off to senior Devin Stallings (Waterbury, Conn.), who dropped it in to give Nichols a three-point lead at 94-91. The Knights refused to go away, cutting the deficit to one once again with a basket from Barnes with 23 seconds left. Echevarria was then fouled to stop the clock, and he sank both to make it 96-93.
 
With 12 seconds remaining, the Bison fouled on the inbounds pass to put the Knights at the line for 1-and-1. Lowman missed the first, Cunningham snared the rebound, and the Bison ran out the clock.
 
Nichols committed just six turnovers and shot 25-of-31 from the line (81 percent). The Knights outrebounded the 47-33. Stallings finished the night with 12 points and four rebounds.
 
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked the first all-time meeting between Nichols College and Neumann University. The Bison now lead the series, 1-0.  

Next Games
Nichols (24-5) – Saturday, March 4 vs Endicott, 7:00 p.m.
Neumann (25-3) – Season Complete