Box Score NASSAU, BAHAMAS (Jan. 4) – The Nichols College women's basketball team captured the Bahamas Goombay Shootout tournament title with a 68-52 victory over Skidmore Tuesday afternoon in the Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium. Senior forward Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.) scored a season-high 25 points to lead the Bison and was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.

Nelson added 11 rebounds to finish with her seventh double-double of the season. Senior guard Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) and junior forward Chelsea Shaughnessy (Halifax, Mass.) joined Nelson on the All-Tournament Team. Robidoux scored 10 points, including a 3-for7 performance from beyond the arc, to go with six rebounds, while Shaughnessy filled the stat sheet with four points, five rebounds, four steals and four assists.

Megan Gaugler led Skidmore with 16 points, including a 4-7 performance from beyond the arc. Michaela Ottati added 11 points and four rebounds.

Nelson scored the Bison's first 10 points as Nichols jumped out to a 10-3 lead just over three minutes into the game. A jumper and three-pointer by Gaugler brought the Thoroughbreds within two, 8-10, but Natalie Wilson (Bedford, N.H.) capped a 13-3 Bison run to give Nichols its largest lead of the half seven minutes later, 23-11. Ottati answered with a three on Skidmore's next possession to cut Nichols' lead to single digits. With just over a minute left, Kasey Pelletier (Dunstable, Mass.) drained a three to put Nichols back ahead by 11, 34-23, but again Skidmore answered right back with a Gaugler trey to make it 34-26 at the break.

Nichols extended its lead to 13 points in the opening four minutes of the second half, but Skidmore used a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to cut the deficit to three, 45-48. The momentum shifted in the Bison's favor with a 13-2 run spanning the next seven minutes during which Andrea Ferris (Windsor, Mass.) hit a pair of threes and a jump shot. Nichols extended its lead to as many as 19 in the final minute before Jessie Kavana sank a three-pointer to close out the game.

The Bison shot 43.3% in the game, and out-rebounded Skidmore by a 42-34 margin. Nichols dominated the paint with a 28-16 scoring advantage, and parlayed 16 Thoroughbreds turnovers into 13 points while committing a season-low 12 turnovers while dishing out 16 assists in the game. Skidmore was effective from long range, firing at a 42.1% clip (8-19), led by a 4-7 performance by Gaugler.

Nichols (6-5), which has won four straight games, opens The Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday, January 8 with a noon home game against Roger Williams. Skidmore (3-5) faces Colby-Sawyer Wednesday, January 5 in the Goombay Shootout finale at 4 p.m.

Box Score