Men’s Basketball Takes Conference-Leading Nichols To The Brink, 71-68

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott men's basketball team fell to Nichols, 71-68, in a hard-fought Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) matchup on Thursday evening at MacDonald Gymnasium.

Jalen Echevarria (Lynn, Mass.) led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor (3-7 3PT, 3-4 FT).

Billy Arseneault (Lynnfield, Mass.) also contributed 17 points (7-16 FG, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds, and five assists, while Parker McLaren (Newburyport, Mass.) and Stephen Fama (Lynnfield, Mass.) chipped in with 9-6 and 8-6, respectively, in the razor-thin loss.

Nichols led 10-9 early on in the first half before Endicott responded with a 10-2 run with 7:30 remaining in the opening stanza. During that time, the Gulls produced jumped ahead on the scoreboard behind a pair of three-point baskets from Cam Homsey (Windham, N.H.), a corner jump shot by McLaren, and a Fama layup. 

From there, Endicott held off a 9-2 Nichols' scoring run (3:35-1:09) for a slim 33-32 lead at the half. 

The second half featured a similar back-and-forth pace with Nichols taking a 59-51 via a 9-2 scoring run with 6:31 remaining.

Endicott later responded with an 11-2 run of its own via Arseneault, Cameron Ray (Lowell, Mass.), and Echevarria to reclaim the lead, 62-61, with 4:18 left to play. Echevarria and Ray both converted three-pointers, while Arseneault scored five, punctuated by an and-one opportunity to cap the run.

Nichols punched back with an 8-2 run before Endicott leaned on the veteran leadership of Fama and Echevarria to cut the lead to one with 8.3 seconds remaining. The Bison sealed the victory at the free throw line, however, to escape Beverly with the win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Despite the loss, Endicott still leads the all-time series, 21-19.
• Nichols outscored the Gulls in the paint 40-32.
• Tonight's game featured one tie and 11 lead changes.
• The largest lead in tonight's game was only eight points (NC: 59-51, 6:31 | EC: 29-21, 3:35).

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (11-8, 8-6 CCC) visits Salve Regina on Saturday, February 12 at 3 PM. Nichols (19-2, 12-2 CCC) travels to Western New England this Saturday at 3 PM. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - Leanna Puccio '24)