Box Score QUINCY, Mass. (Jan. 12) – Junior forward Hayley Zophin posted her second straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Nichols College women's basketball team fell to the Commonwealth Coast Conference's top defensive team, Eastern Nazarene, by a 66-43 final at Lahue Physical Education Center Thursday evening.

The Lions (6-6, 3-2) had been allowing opponents just 50.5 points per game coming into the contest while allowing foes the conference's lowest three-point percentage at 19%.  Both were a factor in the game as the stingy Eastern Nazarene defense held the Bison scoreless from beyond the arc (0-6) and to a 27.9% scoring percentage from the floor.

Nichols (3-9, 2-3), meanwhile, another defensively-minded squad, allowed more than 60 points in a game for the first time in eight games, and recorded eight steals, slightly shy of the Bison's league-leading 12.8 per game average.

Sarah Whitestone joined Zophin in double figures for the Bison, scoring 12 on the night, including eight in 15 second-half minutes.

Alexis Malloy scored a game-high 20 points to go with 11 rebounds, while Ace Carradine finished just shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. Shardae Brown chipped in with 12 points.

Chelsea Shaughnessy hit the game's first jumper, giving Nichols its first of three early leads, but a pair of Abbie Tonello free throws followed up by a jumper gave the Lions the lead for good by the midway point. Eastern Nazarene built its largest lead of the frame, a 10-point advantage with six minutes left.

After Eastern Nazarene went up by 10 within the opening three minutes, the Bison cut the Lions' lead to single digits on two Zophin free throws five minutes later.  But the Lions closed the game on a 14-6 run to seal the game.

Eastern Nazarene outrebounded Nichols at a 50-36 clip, and shot over 58% in the second half to the Bison's 30% effort to ensure the victory.

Nichols continues CCC action on Saturday in a 12 p.m. home game against University of New England. Eastern Nazarene travels to Western New England for a 1 p.m. conference game Saturday.


Box Score