DUDLEY, Mass. (12/6/2025) - The Nichols College women's basketball team came up short in their first home conference matchup on Saturday afternoon, dropping to Johnson and Wales University 61-86.

Nichols falls to 5-4 (1-2 CNE) with the loss while Johnson and Wales moves to 6-2 (3-0 CNE).

Nichols struggled to find consistency, shooting 26.8% from the field and 26.7% from three. Despite the tough outing, senior Alyvia Smith continued her scoring clinic, leading the Bison with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting, including three triples. She added four rebounds, two blocks, and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.Graduate student Summer Klein and senior Adriana Romano also turned in strong performances. Klein scored 15 points, went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, and posted a team-high five steals. Romano added 13 points, a team-leading six rebounds, four assists, and four steals to round out her well-balanced game.

The Bison struggled to find their rhythm early, scoring their first points at 5:27 off a corner three and a strong and-1 finish from junior Addison Whitty. The Wildcats capitalized from beyond the arc, building their lead to as many as 14. A three from Smith cut the deficit to 11, but a quick bucket by Johnson & Wales pushed the margin back to 13 heading into the second quarter.

Johnson & Wales opened the floodgates from deep in the second, pushing their lead to as many as 24. Nichols began to settle in, starting with a smooth finish around the rim by Romano followed by five unanswered points from Klein. The final two minutes of the half featured four straight threes between both teams,  including another from Klein and a statement triple from junior Angie Coletti. Romano closed the half with crafty footwork in the paint, trimming the deficit to 16 and giving the Bison some much needed momentum heading into the break.

The Wildcats opened the second half with two quick layups, but the Bison responded with a strong finish inside. Moments later, Coletti's active hands forced a turnover that turned into a three on the other end, cutting the deficit to 15 and giving Nichols a brief spark. Despite these flashes of energy, Johnson & Wales continued to find success from all over the floor, consistently converting their opportunities and pushing the pace. Their steady scoring stretch allowed them to close the third quarter with a commanding 22-point lead. In the final frame, the Bison continued to battle but struggled to gain traction offensively, shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-9 from beyond the arc. Johnson & Wales capitalized on these struggles, extending their largest lead of the afternoon to 29 points. Nichols earned a few late looks, including clean finishes from Klein and final trips to the free-throw line for Smith, but the gap proved too large to overcome. The Wildcats maintained control through the final minutes, securing an 86–61 victory.

The Bison return to action on Wednesday, December 10th taking on non conference opponent Norwich University (4-4, 0-0 GNAC).