DUDLEY, Mass. – The top-seeded Nichols College women's basketball team defeated eighth-seeded Curry, 81-49, Tuesday evening in The Commonwealth Coast Conference quarterfinals. The Bison, led by 17 points from junior guard Alena Jasinski (Canton, Conn.), advance to the semifinals for the fourth-straight year and improve their program-best record to 23-3. Curry wraps up the season at 9-17.

Nichols will host fifth-seeded Salve Regina Thursday in a 7 p.m. semifinal matchup. The Seahawks upset Colby-Sawyer, 68-56.

Also figuring in double digit scoring for the Bison were sophomore guard Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) with 14 points, and first-year forward Lena Fracassini (Bridgeport, Conn.), who, on perfect shooting, sank 13 points while adding six rebounds in just 12 minutes on the floor.

Senior forward Christina Sancinito led the Colonels with 19 points, four steals and a team-high seven rebounds, while classmate Emma Dickson and sophomore forward Jennifer Olejnik each added six points.

The score was tied once at 8-8 at the 16:13 mark of the first half before a 15-1 Bison run capped by a pair of Michele Guerin (Chicopee, Mass.) free throws put Nichols handily ahead. Olejnik hit the first of her two three pointers to bring the Colonels within nine with five minutes remaining in the first half, but another big Nichols run gave the home team a 43-27 lead headed into halftime.

The Bison held their opponent to just six points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, during which time they extended their lead to 27 points. Nichols led by as many as 39 with five minutes left, but the Colonels chipped away in the final two minutes for the final 81-49 score.

Nichols shot 57.6% in the opening half and completed the game at 53.7%. The Bison found 13 points at the line in the second half, and hit all 15 shots from the charity stripe on the night. Curry forced 19 turnovers from Nichols, putting up six points off turnovers. The Bison, however, created 23 points off the Colonels' 19 turnovers.

Thursday's 7 p.m. semifinal game against Salve Regina can be heard live on WNRC, 97.5-FM in the Dudley, Mass., area, or live online.

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