DUDLEY, Mass.—Behind 23 points from senior guard MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, N.J.), the Nichols College women's basketball team defeated Elms College, 62-46, Thursday evening. Skarzenski added six steals, seven assists and six rebounds in her all-around effort as the Bison improve to 5-2 after their fourth-straight win. Elms dips to 1-6 on the season.

Elms was led by a double-double from junior Amanda Brogna (Oxford, Mass.), who scored 25 points and grabbed 12 boards for the visiting Blazers.

Both teams struggled to score early in the game, but after netting only eight points in the first seven minutes, the Bison held the Blazers scoreless for eight minutes while pouring in 15 points, capped off by a three-pointer from Skarzenski, giving them a 14 point lead midway through the half.

Elms outscored the Bison, 8-3, in the final minutes of the first half, ending with Nichols up by nine, 26-17.

The second half started with a 13-4 Nichols run, giving the Bison a 17 point lead. After an 8-0 run, the Blazers were able to cut the deficit to 10 with 11 minutes to go, ending with a three-pointer by freshman Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, Mass.), but could not pull any closer. Sharp-shooting Skarzenski stopped the Blazers' run with two consecutive threes, part of her 7-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc.

A 14-2 run by the Bison secured the lead for the rest of the game, which also featured nine points and 13 rebounds from sophomore Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I).

The Bison wrap up the first half of the season hosting Johnson & Wales on Saturday at 1 p.m. Elms travels to New York to face the SUNYIT Wildcats Monday at 4 p.m.

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