THE BASICS 

Score: Nichols 90, Emerson 90

Records: Emerson Lions (0-1) ; Nichols Bison (2-0)

Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)

Date: November 11, 2021

The Lead: Led by senior Zach Waterhouse's 24 points and a double-double of 14 points and 14 boards from senior Jarred Houston, the Emerson men's basketball team slipped up in its first game of the 2021 campaign, 90-80, to Nichols on Thursday night at Brown & Plofker Gym. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Waterhouse: 24 points & four steals

Houston: 14 points, 14 rebounds & four blocks

NICHOLS

Jakigh Dottin: 31 points

Jaekwon Spencer: 15 points & 11 rebounds

Matt Morrow & Bryson Andrews: 15 points

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The game was evenly matched through the opening minutes of the first quarter with the leads held by Emerson and Nichols not going over two. At 15:14, a trey from Spencer put the Bisons up by a trio, the largest lead held by either team at the time. 
• Emerson went to work on both sides of the ball over the next several minutes and pieced together a 17-4 run that extended the Lions' lead into double-figures at 25-15 when Houston converted a layup with 10:32 left in the half. 
• Nichols wasted no time with a response to Emerson's offensive streak and went on their own and used Jack O'Regan's shot from downtown at 7:06 to kickstart a 9-2 spark to reclaim the one-point advantage at 30-29. 
• DiCenzo dropped a three to put Emerson back within a pair (34-32), yet Nichols put up four more points through the remaining two minutes of the frame as the Lions entered halftime down six (38-32). 
• Emerson kept within four to begin the second half, but Nichols carried its offensive momentum from the first frame and used it to gain their first double-figure cushion over Emerson at 51-39 five minutes in. 
• The Lions were able to keep their comeback hopes alive as they came back within 10 on several occasions and even got their deficit into single digits at 2:23 with the help of a triple from Waterhouse to put the score at 79-72. 
• Nichols never let Emerson get too comfortable despite the Lions inching within eight as the hosts watched the Bison use the charity line to setback the hosts, 90-80. 

UP NEXT 

• Emerson continues their home-stand on Tuesday, November 16th when the Lions host Gordon at 5:30 p.m.