BOSTON, Mass. (2/6/24) – The Nichols College men's basketball team earned a 71-65 victory over in-conference opponent Wentworth Institute of Technology on Tuesday evening, extending their win streak to 13 consecutive games.

The Bison continue to occupy the top spot in the Commonwealth Coast Conference standings, and now hold a 19-3 (12-1 CCC) overall record. With the loss, Wentworth drops to 11-11 (6-7 CCC) on the season.

Senior guard Mykel Derring led Nichols' balanced effort with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-14 (57.1%) shooting, marking his sixth 20-plus performance of the season. Derring also chipped in eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior Tavon Jones was the only other player to score in double-figures for the Bison with 20 points, while also going 8-of-14 from the field. The Bison cashed in for 20 points total points off 15 Wentworth turnovers and finished the evening 28-of-62 (44.4%) in shooting.

Wentworth did not back away from the challenge in the opening half, as the lead flipped a total of four times through the opening 10 minutes. Through the midway point of the half, the Leopards outpaced the Bison with 13-4 run, giving themselves a 22-17 lead. However, the Bison then converted on back-to-back triples from Nate Duckworth and Dominic Mello to pull within one on the score, before a Derring layup put them back in front, 27-26 with 3:16 to play. The final six points of the half belonged to the host Leopards, who took a 32-27 lead into the break.

Despite opening the second half with a 10-2 run, the Bison would not claim the lead for good until the 9:17 mark of the half where Duckworth, Jones and Derring each converted from behind the arc to fuel a 13-3 run. With the Bison now leading by eight at 62-54, the Leopards briefly staged a comeback on five unanswered points but ultimately failed to inch any closer as Nichols expanded their edge by as many as nine points with 24 seconds left. With a handful of free throws in the final minute, the Bison were able to hang on for the 71-65 win.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Bison return home to host Suffolk University (16-10, 11-7 CCC) this coming Saturday, February 10^th for National Women in Sports Day at the Nichols Athletic Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM.