Box Score The Nichols women's basketball team (17-10) shot just 26 percent from the field as it fell to top-seeded Colby-Sawyer (22-4), 60-52, in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Tournament Semifinals on Thursday evening. The Chargers advance to Saturday's championship game as they will host Salve Regina at 2 p.m. The Bison are now 17-10 overall and 12-2 in the conference. Freshman Margaret Lilly (Ashfield, MA) recorded her seventh double-double of the season with ten points and ten rebounds in the loss while senior Stacey Hejwosz (Dudley, MA) posted a team-high 11 points.

Colby-Sawyer stormed out to an 11-0 lead as Nichols was held without a field goal for the first 10:54 of the game. Junior Kristina Weasel's (Wakefield, RI) three-pointer at the 9:06 mark finally stopped the bleeding but not before the Chargers drew up a 16 point lead, 17-1.

A lay-up by freshman Terri Duffy (Marshfield, MA) gave Colby-Sawyer its largest lead of the half, 21-4, with 7:11 left until halftime but the Bison stormed their way back, getting to within one, 25-24, with 1:01 remaining. The 20-4 drive was sparked by a fast break lay-up by Hejwosz off a steal by sophomore MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, NJ). A jumper by Lilly at 3:42 got the margin below double digits while four straight free throws by the rookie made it a three point game, 23-20, with 3:05 remaining until halftime. A lay-up by freshman Curtia Humbert (Bridgeport, CT) off another Skarzenski steal followed by a lay-up by junior Katie Fondelheit (Dayville, CT) got Nichols to within one before a free throw by Duffy closed out the half with the score 26-24 in the Chargers favor.

Nichols took its first lead of the game, 34-30, early in the second frame off a jumper by Humbert and an offensive put-back by Lilly. With the score tied at 42 with 11:19 remaining in the game, Colby-Sawyer put together a 20-5 drive to put the game in the bag. The Bison went without a point for nearly eight full minutes. Hejwosz's three with 3:34 left broke the draught but the Chargers hit 9-11 free throws in the final 2:26 of the game.

Skarzenski was held to seven points off 3-16 shooting with seven assists, five rebounds, five steals and no turnovers. Colby-Sawyer dominated the boards 53-41 as CCC Player of the Year Noelle Surette (Buxton, ME) posted a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds.