DUDLEY, Mass. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's basketball team used a 54-point second half to whittle a 21-point halftime deficit to three in the final two minutes before dropping a 90-83 non-conference decision to Nichols College in its 2022-23 season-opener at the Nichols Athletic Center.
After shooting 28 percent and trailing 50-29 at halftime, Eastern reversed roles in the second half, shooting 55 percent and holding Nichols (1-0) to 38.5 shooting from the floor but lost to the Bison for the third straight time after winning seven in a row in the series.
Nichols is coming off its eighth straight 20-win season which included an Elite Eight berth in 2018-19 during a 28-win season. The Warriors were 18-8 a year ago, sharing second place in the Little East Conference final standings and losing in the LEC tournament semifinals.
Down by 21 points at halftime and by 18 with five-and-a-half minutes left, Eastern held Nichols scoreless from the field and to just three free throws over four minutes to pull to within three, 84-81, with 1:30 left. Eastern missed its final three shots, however, while the Bison got a field goal and two free throws in the final 11 seconds to hang on.
Eastern played its opener without two starters, who were replaced in the lineup by first-year guards
Dominick Dao (Terryville) and
Aden Goffe (New Haven), who combined for 27 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
Nichols' bench outscored Eastern's bench, 29-14.
Eastern senior point guard
Jalen Williams (Simsbury) played all 40 minutes and scored a game-high 24 points to lead five double-digit scorers. He grabbed six rebounds, handed out five assists and had three steals. Dao had 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds in 32 minutes, with Goffe, senior guard
Thomas Close (East Hampton) and senior forward
Rakesh Tibby (East Hartford) adding ten points each and Tibby grabbing eight rebounds.
Senior guard Jakigh Dottin led Nichols with a game-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, with graduate guard Matthew Alectus scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Eastern faces Anna Maria College Friday at 5 p.m. in the opening round of the Eastern Tip-Off Tournament at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
