BRISTOL, R.I. (2/25/2025) – It was déjà vu for the fifth-seeded Nichols College men's basketball team, as host No. 4 Roger Williams University emerged victorious in the second half by a score of 83-75 in the opening round of the Conference of New England (CNE) Tournament Tuesday night.

It was also a historic night for senior forward Ryan Savoy, who surpassed 1,000 career points in the first half of the contest.

The Bison close the 2024-25 season with a 13-13 (10-8 CNE) record.

Simon Percy led Nichols with his sixth double-double of the season, scoring 24 points on 9-of-13 (69.2%) shooting and 11 rebounds. Javen Flowers-Smith also had a strong outing with 23 points scored, along with five rebounds and four assists. Savoy added 17 points on the night, along with five rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals.

Roger Williams saw early success from behind the arc, hitting 4-of-8 from three through the first five minutes for a 14-11 lead by the first media timeout. The Hawks continued their hot shooting over the next several minutes, but the Bison matched them each step of the way, with a Luke Chapman triple tying the score at 31-31 with 7:53 left in the half. That basket also spearheaded a 17-2 Bison run, which featured Savoy's 1,000^th career point via an unassisted driving layup, catapulting Nichols into the lead by a 45-33 margin with 2:00 to go. The Hawks would score the final six points of the half, shaving Nichols' lead down to 47-39.

Roger Williams ignited the home crowd in the second half with a dunk 1:20 in, which fueled a 12-2 run by the Hawks that flipped the lead in their favor, 51-50. Following a Bison timeout, the Hawks kept it going with back-to-back triples 40-seconds apart, furthering their lead to 57-50. The teams exchanged baskets through the midway point of the half with Roger Williams maintaining a six-point edge at the 8:30 mark, leading up to a quick 5-0 Hawk run that made it a 66-58 ballgame. Nichols eventually re-discovered its offensive groove as Percy nailed a three from up high, helping pull the Bison to within five points at 75-70 with 3:30 remaining. Flowers-Smith then connected for each of Nichols' next three baskets, including his own trey ball at 1:47 to keep the Bison alive, 79-75. However, the Hawks clamped down on defense in the final minute, and hit a pair of late free throws to escape with 83-75 triumph.