DUDLEY, Mass. – The top-seeded Nichols College women's basketball team was upset by fifth-seeded Salve Regina University, 60-45, Thursday evening in The Commonwealth Coast Conference semifinals. Under TCCC Coach of the Year Natalie Soffen, Nichols, which set a program record for wins this season (23), awaits a possible postseason tournament bid.

Sophomore guard Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) paced the Bison (23-4) with 17 points and six rebounds, while TCCC Player, Defensive Player and Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, N.J.) added 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore forward Jessica Nelson (No. Providence, R.I.) snagged a team-high 10 rebounds.

The Seahawks (19-8) saw only three players record points, led by sharp-shooting senior guard Allegra Lovoy, who racked up a game-high 23 points. Sophomore forward Erin Phillips added a double-double with 21 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while TCCC Rookie of the Year Lindsay Shorey accounted for the rest of Salve's points with 16, adding 10 rebounds for a double-double.

The Seahawks held the Bison to a season-low 14 first-half points on less than 20% shooting. Salve Regina edged out to a 10-point lead by the 12:16 mark before Skarzenski hit a three to cut the lead back to single digits, 14-7. Lovoy answered back with a trey of her own – she was three of four on the night.

With Salve Regina up by 12, Skarzenski brought Nichols back within 10 with a jumper at 9:21, but the Seahawks held the Bison to two points over the remainder of the half and carried a 29-14 lead into the locker room.

The Bison opened the second half on an 11-6 run, capped by a Nelson jumper, to again cut the deficit to 10 points at 37-27, but a 12-2 Seahawk run left the Bison down by 20 with 9:45 to play.

A Phillips trey at 6:43 gave Salve Regina its largest lead of the half, 54-32, but three consecutive treys brought the Bison within striking distance as the clock wore down. Robidoux sank a pair of free throws with 1:13 left to make the score 58-45 in favor of the visitors, but Lovoy nailed two from the stripe immediately after.

Salve Regina held Nichols to 27.4% shooting from the floor and found nine points in the Bison's 17 turnovers. Nichols outrebounded the Seahawks, 47-45, and created 10 points off of nine turnovers. Salve Regina held a 15-11 advantage in second-chance points, and dominated the paint with a 24-10 point advantage.

The Seahawks advance to play at second seed Endicott Saturday for the TCCC Championship; the Gulls defeated University of New England, 78-67.

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