PAXTON, Mass. (2/5/24) – The Nichols College women's basketball team rallied behind a 34-point fourth quarter to defeat host Anna Maria College in non-conference action on Monday evening at the Fuller Activities Center.
The Bison improve to 10-11 (5-7 CCC) overall, while the AMCATS fall to 9-13 (3-8 GNAC).

Five players scored in double-figures for the Bison. Senior Abrianna Vazquez was 12-of-24 (50.0%) from the field and had 32 points and five steals while sophomore Alyvia Smith had the best game of her career, shooting 7-of-11 (63.6%) with 20 points. The Bison also saw 17 points from graduate Kiera Fernandes, 15 points from senior Summer Klein, and 12 points from sophomore Adriana Romano. Nichols shot well as a team at 42.9 percent (39-of-91) offensively, and forced Anna Maria into 36 turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.

Each of the Bison's first four baskets came from behind the arc, beginning with a Smith triple 11 seconds in. However, with the exemption of the opening basket, the Bison had to battle from behind in the opening frame against the AMCATS, who held as much as a nine-point lead with 1:58 to play. Anna Maria wrapped up the quarter leading by eight points, 24-16.

The AMCATS furthered their lead to 12 points early in the second quarter before Kiera Fernandes put up a layup to kick off a 10-0 run by the Bison, which brought them to within one point of the hosts, 28-27. Then, with 5:31 to go in the half, the Bison jumped into the lead on a free throw by Leandra Ortiz, which opened a brief stretch of back-and-forth action between the two teams. Despite Nichols owning a six-point lead with 4:25 to play in the second, the AMCATS battled back with a 12-5 run to lead 50-48 at the half.  

Both teams went point for point in a closely contested third quarter, but the host AMCATS still clenched onto a fragile two-point lead after three. However, the Bison took control of the game with a 9-3 run to open the fourth quarter, which helped them take 92-85 midway through the frame. In total, the Bison shot 14-of-19 (73.68%) from the field in the final quarter, outscoring the AMCATS by a 34-28 margin to earn the victory.  

Women's basketball has a quick turnaround before their next matchup on Tuesday, February 6^th at Wentworth Institute of Technology (4-15, 0-12 CCC) at 7:00 PM