WENHAM, Mass. – Junior Brooke Packard (Dudley, Mass.) poured in a career-high 22 points in Nichols College's 80-75 overtime loss at Gordon College Tuesday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball action at the Bennett Center.
 
Classmate Allison Cerrato (Rockland, Mass.) notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards, as did sophomore Amy Assad (Millis, Mass.) with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Bison shot 40 percent from the field but were outrebounded 60-39.
 
Freshman Meghan Foley (Malden, Mass.) was one of four Gordon student-athletes in double-figures with 21 points (5-of-22 FG) – including 11-of-13 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Jess Ryan (Milford, N.H.) registered 14 points and eight rebounds and freshman Sarah Gibbs (Elizabethtown, Pa.) snared 17 rebounds. Gordon shot 35 percent.
 
Packard knocked down three of her four shots in the first quarter to help the Bison take a 14-9 lead. Nichols took a 30-27 lead into the locker room at halftime after shooting 40 percent from the field (12-of-30). Packard led all scorers with 11 points while Assad chipped in with six. Ryan and sophomore Brooke Dyson (Houston, Texas) paced the Fighting Scots with 10 each.
 
Gordon outscored the Bison 25-17 in a high-scoring third quarter to take a 52-47 lead into the fourth. Junior Jenna Olson (Rutland, Vt.) scored nine points to lead Gordon while Packard netted six for NC.
 
The Bison tied the game at 60 when senior Taylor Daniels (Dudley, Mass.) canned a triple with 4:19 remaining before Cerrato gave the Bison a two-point lead with 3:35 to go. With the Fighting Scots ahead by three and time winding down, Packard drained a three with four seconds on the clock to tie the game at 65 and force overtime.
 
A pair of free throws and a layup by Assad in the opening 56 seconds of overtime gave the Bison an early four-point lead, and they remained in front until junior Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) sank a jumper with 36 seconds on the clock to give the home team a 76-75 lead. Packard missed a pair of shots at the other end of the floor, and Foley sank four shots down the stretch to seal the win.
 
Both teams committed 26 turnovers.
 
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked 43rd all-time meeting between Gordon College and Nichols College. The Fighting Scots have won two-straight following a 15-game losing skid and now trail the series, 22-21.
 
Next Games
Nichols (1-9, 1-3 CCC) – Thursday, January 5 vs Curry, 7:30 p.m.
Gordon (5-6, 3-1 CCC) – Thursday, January 5 @ Endicott, 5:30 p.m.