SALEM, Mass. (12/4/2025) - The Nichols College women's basketball team dropped a non-conference road contest on Thursday evening, falling to Salem State University, 58-55.

Nichols falls to 5-3 (1-1 CNE) with the loss, while Salem State jumps to 4-2.

For the second game in a row, senior guard Alyvia Smith led the Bison offense with 19 points on 6-of-17 (), alongside a team-best four steals and six rebounds. Junior Rylee Barrieault was also in the rebounding mix with six of her own on the night, while she and freshman Jaelize Rivera distributed a team-high three assists each.

The Bison came out firing to open the contest, with Barrieault and Adriana Romano both nailing a pair of early triples to give Nichols an 8-2 advantage. That lead would later increase to as many as seven points following a Tianna Fernandez layup at 4:17, but Salem State would rise to the challenge late in the quarter with a 9-0 run, erasing the seven-point deficit to go up 14-12.

Salem State converted on an and-one made layup to start the second quarter, but then fell victim to an explosive 18-0 Bison run that featured six different scorers and put them back in the lead at 30-17, their largest uninterrupted run so far this season. Smith then hit a three at 4:06, followed by a Romano layup less than a minute later to cap off the Bison offense for the half, guiding them to a 35-28 lead at the break.

The Vikings made a noticeable attempt to find its way back into the game, eventually tying it at 45-45 with 2:16 to go in the third quarter. However, it didn't end there for the home squad, as the Viking tacked on a final layup at 2:00 minutes to once more jump in front 47-45, a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Despite a near point-for-point final quarter, the advantage would go to Salem State by an 11-10 margin, giving them enough insurance to hold on for the 58-55 victory.

Women's basketball hosts their first conference opponent at the Nichols Athletic Center this Saturday, December 6^th, with Johnson & Wales University (5-2, 2-0 CNE) making their way to town. Tip off is set for 1:00 PM.