DUDLEY, Mass. (11/13/2025) – In a game that featured nine lead changes and eight ties, the Nichols women's basketball team used a strong second half to fuel a 55-43 win over WestConn in their 2025-26 home opener at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The Bison are off to a 2-0 start to the season with the win, while WestConn moves to 1-1.

Nichols finished the evening shooting 18-of-66 (27.3%) from the field, and were led by senior Alyvia Smith who put up 22 points with four rebounds and three steals. Classmate Adriana Romano was the only other Bison to score in double figures with 15 points of her own, which paired nicely with 10 steals for her first collegiate double-double. The Bison totaled 43 rebounds in the win, with Summer Klein and Angie Coletti each hauling in seven apiece.

The two sides held eachother to no more than a two-point lead throughout the entire opening quarter, setting the stage for a lengthy defensive battle. With a narrow 13-12 lead over the Bison after one, WestConn attempted to pull away with a triple at the 7:05 mark of the second to go ahead 17-14, forcing Nichols into a 30-second timeout. Following the pause, the Bison countered with a 9-2 run which catapulted them into the lead 23-19, which was then followed by another several minutes of point-for-point play. Before long, the score found itself deadlocked at 29-29, until a final Romano free throw gave the Bison a close 30-29 edge at the half.

The Wolves returned from the locker room ready for action, scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to re-claim the lead at 37-30. However, the Bison were able to reset and answer with their own 7-0 run, which included a Riley Barrieault three-pointer to once more tie the game at 37-37, before two more triples from Smith helped pilot the hosts to a 45-41 lead through 30 minutes of action.

To cap off the night, Nichols went on to out-score the Wolves by a 10-2 margin in the fourth quarter, earning them the 55-43 victory.

Nichols returns to action Saturday, November 13^th when it travels to Colby-Sawyer College (1-1) and the Dan & Kathleen Hogan Sports Center. Tipoff for the non-conference showdown is set for 1:00 PM.