Box Score DUDLEY, MA --- Tyheem Simon (Far Rockaway, NY / Lawrence) scored a game-high 28 points but Thomas College could not overcome 28 turnovers in a 90-76 non-conference loss at Nichols College on Tuesday night.
Simon, who scored the Terriers' first eight points, finished the game 10-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Nichols jumped to a 6-0 lead, capitalizing on five Thomas turnovers, before Simon got the Terriers on the board with a layup at the 15:46 mark. After Adam Carlsen (Rockport, ME / Camden Hills) nailed a trey to tie the game at 11-11, Levi Barnes (Skowhegan, ME / Skowhegan) scored Thomas' next 11 points.
After back-to-back three-pointers by Marcos Echevarria and a jumper by Brandon Marshall gave Nichols its largest lead of the half at 32-22, Thomas scored 11 of the next 13 points over the final 3:52 to cut the deficit just one point at 34-33 at the break. Simon scored five points and Carlos Gonzalez (Kennebunk, ME / Lewiston) added four down the stretch for the Terriers, who shot 48.1 percent (13-of-27) from the field in the first half but committed 15 turnovers.
Thomas' hot shooting continued into the second half, allowing the Terriers to keep pace with a Bison club that finished the game hitting 12 of 32 shots from behind the line.
After a Gonzalez layup cut the Nichols lead to a single point at 73-72 with 4:35 to play, the Bison scored nine of the next 10 points to open up an 82-73 lead. Devin Stallings hit a jumper before Echevarria drained all three free throws after being fouled on a shot behind the line. Stallings then rattled home a three off a feed from Echevarria and Irving Eggleston added a free throw.
Barnes made a layup and Justin Murray (Winslow, ME / Winslow) added a free throw to draw within six with 1:12 to play at 82-76, but Nichols put the game out of reach with three pointers by Stallings and Echevarria on consecutive trips down the court.
In addition to his game-high 28 points, Simon had six rebounds and two assists. Barnes finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and a pair of blocks. Gonzalez added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Carlsen checked in with 10 points off the bench.
Eggleston led Nichols with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Echevarria drained five three-pointers en route to 21 points, while Christian Horton had eight points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
Thomas (0-2) ended the game shooting 57 percent (29-of-51) from the field compared to Nichols' 42 percent (31-of-74), but the Bison drained 12 three-pointers compared to the Terriers' five.
Barnes on the Move: With 29 points in his first two games, Levi Barnes has moved into sole possession of 11th place on Thomas' career scoring chart with 1,402 points. He needs eight points to jump Adam Rich (1,409 points, 2002-05, 07) into 10th place overall.
Up Next: The Terriers return to the court this weekend when they host the annual Charlie Ryan Classic on Saturday and Sunday at Larry Mahaney Gymnasium in Waterville.
