DUDLEY, Mass. (12/12/24) - The Nichols College women's basketball team closed out the 2024 half of the season on Thursday afternoon, earning a 96-57 victory over Mitchell College in non-conference play at the Nichols Athletic Center.
With the win, the Bison improve to 6-2 (1-2 CNE) overall, while Mitchell drops to 2-4 (0-0 GNAC) with the loss.
Four players were in double figures for Nichols , with graduate students
Abrianna Vazquez and
Summer Klein leading the charge with 12 points apiece. Klein also tied for the team lead in rebounds with six, matching sophomore
Angie Coletti who additionally turned in a season-high 11 points. Classmate
Rylee Barrieault was the last Bison player in double-figure scoring with 11 points in the effort. As a team, the Bison shot 39-of-89 (43.8%) from the field, while limiting the Mariners to 19-of-64 (29.7%) shooting defensively.
The game also marked the second time this season with every Nichols player scoring at least a point.
Balanced scoring was a key factor for the Bison in the opening period, as the team shot 60.8 (14-of-23) percent from the field. Part of the scoring effort included a dominant 15-2 lead to open the contest, which later played into a lopsided 33-11 lead for the Bison after one.
The Nichols lead grew larger early in the second quarter, with Vazquez, Coletti and
Juliana Brimecombe each knocking down triples through the first two minutes to make it 42-13 Bison. Mitchell responded with a tip-in layup at 7:43, but Nichols continued to find ways to score with the games next seven points to go ahead by 34 points at 49-15 midway through. Nichols ended the quarter scoring six unanswered points, capped off by an
Adison Whitty three at the buzzer, to send the game into the second half with Nichols leading 60-25.
The Bison, with a comfortable 35-point lead in hand, found themselves out-battled in the third quarter by the Mariners, who outscored the hosts 19-14 to bring the lead down to 30 points entering the final stanza. Mitchell then rattled off the first four points of the fourth to make it a 26-point game, which transitioned into an 11-2 run by the Bison that restored their 35-point lead at 85-50. The Bison ended the night outscoring the Mariners 11-4 over the final three minutes, which included freshman
Riley Bassett's first collegiate basket and five straight points from classmate
Isabella Lopez-Marin, coasting them to a 96-57 win.
The Bison will pause for the holiday break before hosting Dean College (5-4, 0-0 GNAC) for another round of non-conference play on Thursday, January 2
nd. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM back at the Nichols Athletic Center.
