Box Score

QUINCY, Mass. – Junior Sarah Whitestone (Dalton, Mass.) scored a game-high 17 for Nichols College, which was defeated by Eastern Nazarene College 58-48 Tuesday evening in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball action.

Classmate Alexis Wegrzynek (Wilbraham, Mass.) added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Bison (11-13, 6-11 CCC). They shot 34 percent from the floor but were outrebounded 56-34. The Lions improved to 8-16 (4-13 CCC) and kept their playoff hopes alive with the win.

In her final home game in a Lion uniform, senior Abbie Tonello (Bourne, Mass.) posted a double-double with team-highs of 12 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Christina Saint-Pierre (Lantana, Fla.) also recorded a double-double on the night, finishing with 12 points and 11 boards. Sophomore Jordan Grays (Elk Grove, Calif.) poured in 11 points, gathered nine rebounds, and came up with three steals. Junior Ruby Leon (Fairfield, Calif.) chipped in with nine points and three assists.

The home team seized a six-point edge with 13:33 left to play in the first as freshman Jamie Emerson (Attleboro, Mass.) tossed in a layup to make it 14-8. Nichols responded with six-straight points to even the contest at 14 with 11:18 on the clock.

After the two squads exchanged baskets, Eastern Nazarene built a five-point lead with less than five minutes remaining in the half, 25-20. Leon drilled a triple with 1:11 left to play to push the Lions advantage to eight, 30-22. Nichols chalked up a free throw by junior Amber Litwinko (Berlin, Conn.) in the final minute to cut the halftime margin to seven, 30-23. Eastern Nazarene shot 41 percent from the floor in the opening half while the Bison connected on 36 percent of their attempts.

The Bison tied the score at 33 when senior Devon Spirka (Wilmington, Vt.) capped off a 10-3 run with a layup six minutes into the second stanza. Eastern Nazarene answered with six-consecutive points to grab a 39-33 lead midway through the second half. Nichols pulled to within three with 6:41 on the clock following a Whitestone layup before Tonello helped push the ENC lead to seven with less than five minutes to go in regulation.

Nichols climbed to within three once again with 2:33 to go before a 7-0 run by the Lions gave them a 10-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
The Bison connected on 34 percent of their shot attempts in the game, but came up short on all eight of their three-point attempts. The Lions rattled home 35 percent of their shots.

Spirka and classmate Kasey Pelletier (Dunstable, Mass.) each finished with six points for Nichols.

Nichols closes the regular season with a 1 p.m. contest at Wentworth on Saturday. The Lions travel to Gordon Saturday for a 1 p.m. game.

Contributions from Eastern Nazarene sports information