Box Score

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Junior Devon Spirka (Wilmington, Vt.) scored a team-high 16 points for Nichols College, which suffered a 64-60 setback at Connecticut College in non-conference women's basketball action Monday night  at Luce Field House.

Senior Hayley Zophin (Framingham, Mass.) recorded her 13th double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the Bison (6-15) suffered their fifht-straight defeat. Senior Natalie Wilson (New Bedford, N.H.) continued her solid play with 15 points and six rebounds in 36 minutes of action while junior Kasey Pelletier (Dunstable, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with eight points, six assists and two steals.

Tara Gabelman (Irvington, N.Y.) scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Connecticut College. She was 8-for-14 from the field and now has 804 points and 512 rebounds in her three-year career with the Camels. Kayleen Murray (Litchfield, Conn.), Caitlin Cimino (Falmouth, Maine) and Kaitlyn Cresencia (New Providence, N.J.) all finished with eight points for the winning side. Sophomore Carlee Smith (Willimantic, Conn.) dished out a game-high five assists to go along with seven points. Aly Boyle (Westford, Mass.) chipped in with six points and three blocked shots.

Nichols trailed by 10 at the break as the Camels (9-12) shot 47 percent from the floor in the opening stanza. The Bison tightened up their defense in the second half, holding the Camels to 39 percent shooting, and shot 50 percent at the other end of the floor. The visitors held a 41-36 edge on the glass and shot 78 percent from the line. Connecticut College was sparked by 19 points from its bench. 
 
The Camels used a 19-to-6 first half run to take control in the opening half. Smith started the rally with a runner at the 13:18 mark to make it a 7-5 game. Kacie Quick (Winchester, Mass.) dialed up a three from the left side with 12:07 remaining to push the lead to 10-5. Later on with 6:17 to go, Gabelman collected a steal and went end to end for an easy bucket in transition to cap the scoring surge that vaulted the hosts out to a 24-11 advantage.
 
At the end of the half, the Bison capitalized on their final possession when Wilson banked in a triple as time expired to reduce the deficit to 32-22.
 
In the second stanza, the Bison stormed back with an inside outside attack. A mini 7-0 run keyed by two Zophin field goals trimmed the deficit to 37-33 with 16:24 remaining. A little later on, the Bison put together another 7-0 run. Zophin executed with a hoop and some harm on a nifty pick and roll play with Spirka to make it a 45-42 game. Then, with 9:40 to go, Spirka buried a trey from the right side that put the Bison on top 46-45.
 
It was a nip and tuck battle the rest of the way. Spirka forced the seventh and final tie of the game at 58 aside when she netted a jumper with 1:39 remaining. On the ensuing possession with 1:22 to go, Murray buried a 17-footer from the left side for the Camels to put the hosts back on top 60-58. Then, the Camel defense was able to come up with a stop and Gabelman added another deuce with 47 seconds left to make it a 62-58 game.
 
The Bison simply would not go away and with 25.6 seconds left, Wilson dropped in a jumper from the left side to make it a one-possession game again with a 62-60 score. Nichols tried to catch the Camels in a trap but was forced to foul with 11.3 seconds left. Cresencia made good on both of her chances at the charity stripe and the Camels were able to hold on for the 64-60 victory.

The Bison return to action on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. contest at Roger Williams. Connecticut College hosts Colby Friday at 8 p.m.

Contributions from Connecticut College sports information