DUDLEY, Mass. (11/16/23) — Senior guard Tavon Jones posted his 11th career double-double through 35 minutes of action with 22 points and 17 rebounds to help pilot  Nichols College men's basketball to a 65-60 victory over Anna Maria College on Thursday night at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The home win improves the Bison to 3-1 on the season, while the AMCATS drop to 1-2 with the loss.

Three other players stood out for the Bison, beginning with a season-high 12 points from graduate Brent Kelly. Also notching double figures was junior Deshaun Nettles with 13 rebounds, and fellow third-year Dominic Mello with 11 points. The Bison shot 21-of-61 (34.4%) from the floor, with more than half of their points earned in the paint.

Anna Maria cruised out to an early 7-2 lead, but Nichols made sure they remained within striking distance as the utilized the next eight minutes of game play to pull ahead by an 18-17 margin. The remainder of the first half was nothing short of a game of possessions, as each team reclaimed the lead several times. With the score at 25-23 Bison, five straight points by Tavon Jones saw the score increase to 30-23, ultimately leading to a 30-26 lead at the break for Nichols.

Out of the intermission, neither team would be able to secure any points through the first two minutes of the second half. At 17:34, Jones opened the scoring for the Bison with a jumper inside the paint, but the AMCATS rallied with a 8-2 run to tie the game at 34-34. Through the midway portion of the half, Anna Maria remained behind by a slim margin, forcing the Bison to capitalize on any and all chances. Nichols would succeed in doing so, as a final layup by Brent Kelly off a costly Anna Maria turnover sealed the deal for the Bison.

The Bison will return to the floor on Sunday, November 19^th for a road matchup at Yeshiva University, with tipoff slated for a 3:00 PM start at the Max Stern Athletic Center.