SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (1/27/24) – In one of their toughest matchups of the season, the Nichols College women's basketball team fell to conference-leading Western New England University by a final score of 107-76 on Saturday afternoon at the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center. 

The Bison move to .500 on the season with a 9-9 (5-5 CCC) overall record, while Western New England improves to 15-4 (9-2 CCC) with the win.

Kiera Fernandes led the way for the Bison with 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting, which included 5-of-8 success from three-point range. Abrianna Vazquez was close behind with 19 points scored, while both players respectively added three rebounds and two steals. Leandra Ortiz recorded 13 points in the effort, while Summer Klein contributed a team-high five boards. Through the full 40 minutes, the Bison shot 27-of-79 (34.2%) from the field.

Both teams moved the ball well through a fast-paced, high-scoring first quarter which saw eight lead changes. The first lead for the Bison came at the 8:17 mark as Vazquez cashed in from three-range to make it a 5-4 game. The two teams then stayed even through the midway point of the quarter before Nichols jumped back into the lead at 14-12 with a quick 5-0 run on baskets by Fernandes and Angie Coletti with 4:14 left. However, the host Golden Bears finished the quarter strong, and managed one final layup prior to the buzzer for a 25-20 lead after one.

The scoring intensity continued into the second quarter, but more-so for Western New England. Following another Vazquez three-pointer 10 seconds in, the Golden Bears went on to score the next 11 points to take 36-23 lead. The Bison eventually regained their offensive rhythm but struggled to get stops at the opposite end of the floor, resulting in a 55-38 difference at halftime.

The Golden Bears continued to scorch the net in the second half as they pushed their lead to 30 points by the end of the third quarter. The Bison's largest run of the second half came between the 8:40 and 6:34 marks of the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Golden Bears 6-2 to make it an 89-61 game. Despite hanging around in the final period, Western New England continued to find ways to score and eventually took the win 107-76.

The Bison will close out the month of January with a home showdown against Endicott College (10-8, 6-5 CCC) on Wednesday, January 31^st. Coverage of the game is slated for 5:30 PM from the Nichols Athletic Center.