SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (2/17/2026) – In their final road game of the 2025-26 season, the Nichols women's basketball team sputtered offensively in a 65-34 loss to host Western New England University on Tuesday night inside at the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center.

With the loss, Nichols drops to 12-12 (5-10 CNE) overall while Western New England jumps to 18-6 (12-3 CNE) on the season.

It was a tough night for the Bison offense, as the Golden Bears held them to just 12-of-55 (21.8%) success from the floor and 3-of-14 (21.4%) from three. Senior Alyvia Smith led the Bison with eight points on the night, in addition to three rebounds and a pair of steals. Classmates Tianna Fernandez and Kya Burdier were the top rebounders for Nichols, each notching seven.

The Bison got off to a hot start, jumping ahead 7-2 through the first four minutes of play. However, things quickly cooled off as the Golden Bears countered with 10 unanswered points, forcing Nichols to the rear by a 12-7 margin. For good measure, Romano broke the streak with one last jumper in the final minute of play, pulling Nichols to within three points after one.

Nichols' deficit grew in the second quarter, with the Golden Bears extending their lead to 27-18, holding the Bison to just one field goal on 13 attempts. For the Bison, their lone make of the quarter came with just 10 seconds left in the half when Rylee Barrieault landed a three off a pass from Kya Burdier.

In the third quarter, the Golden Bears continued to combine relentless offense with tight defense, this time holding the Bison to only two field goals on 14 attempts, split evenly between a Tianna Fernandez tip-in and Summer Klein triple. For the Golden Bears, they went on to outscore the Bison by a 26-3 margin, resulting in a commanding 50-24 lead heading into the fourth.

Despite an improved output and shooting performance by the Bison in the final period, Western New England remained in control offensively 15-10, earning themselves the 65-34 victory in the end.

The Bison wrap up their 2025-26 season this upcoming Saturday against Curry College (3-20, 2-12 CNE) beginning at 1:00 PM, with a pre-game celebration of the program's senior class.