BIDDEFORD, Maine (2/15/2025) – It was an all-out battle from the opening tip, but the Nichols College women's basketball team could not weather the storm against conference opponent University of New England on Saturday, falling by a score of 81-74 inside the Harold Alfond Forum.

The Bison fall to 12-11 (5-11 CNE) with their fourth straight loss. UNE sweeps the regular season series and improves to 13-10 (10-6 CNE).

Abrianna Vazquez scored 21 points behind 9-of-22 (40.9%) shooting which included three makes from behind the arc, along with five assists. Tianna Fernandez pieced together her best collegiate performance to date, scoring 13 points with a team-high eight rebounds, while Alyvia Smith contributed 13 points as well. Combined, the Bison shot 31-of-83 (37.3%) from the field, 8-of-32 (25.0%) from three-point range, and 4-of-10 (40.0%) from the charity stripe.

Vazquez and Barrieault split a pair of early threes to give the Bison an early 6-2 advantage, but UNE answered back to tie the score at 10-10 with 3:43 to play. However, UNE answered back to tie the score at 10-10, leading to a stretch of back-and-forth play that featured four lead changes. The Bison ended the quarter on a high note with an 8-2 run, netting them a 20-16 edge after one.

The Nor'easters were once again successful in tying the score in the second quarter, this time at 22-22, but had a tough time stopping the Bison in the paint as Tianna Fiernandez put up five unanswered points on consecutive layups, and a free throw to give Nichols a 27-22 lead. The hosts eventually clamped down defensively, and outscored the Bison 10-2 over the final 3:00 of the half, resulting in a 33-30 Nor'easter lead at the break.

Out of the locker room, UNE attempted to seize control of the game with a 7-0 run to open the third quarter, all the while holding Nichols scoreless for over 3:30 of play. Fernandez ended the drought with a layup at 6:28 of the frame, fronting a 13-5 Bison run which pulled Nichols to within one point of the hosts, 45-44. The Bison then ran into some foul trouble over the final few minutes, helping the Nor'easters maintain a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, 56-52.   

The Nor'easters staged an 8-2 run through the first 2:10 of the fourth quarter, increasing their lead to its largest margin of the contest, 64-54. However, the Bison would not go down without a fight, as Smith kept them in the race with three straight triples over the next two minutes, making it a 68-65 ballgame. UNE responded with their own sequence of seven straight points, restoring their 10-point lead at 75-65, forcing a Nichols timeout. The difference proved too much for the Bison to overcome, with UNE hanging on for the 81-74 win.  

The Bison play host to Wentworth Institute of Technology (2-21, 0-15 CNE) in their final home game of the 2025 season, with tip-off scheduled for 5:00 PM at the Nichols Athletic Center.