WENHAM, Mass. – Senior captain Alexis Wegrzynek (Wilbraham, Mass.) scored a game-high 15 points to lead the Nichols College women's basketball team to a 55-50 win over Gordon College in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action Tuesday night at the Bennett Center.

Freshman Allison Cerrato (Rockland, Mass.) registered six points and nine rebounds to help the Bison improve to 3-3 on the season (1-2 CCC). The Bison shot 40 percent from the field and won despite turning the ball over 24 times, in part because they also forced 24 turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.

Freshman Sophie Linnell (Richmond, Va.) recorded a double-double for the Fighting Scots (2-6, 0-3 CCC) as she went off for 11 points and 14 rebounds. Gordon has dropped five in a row.

Nichols led wire-to-wire in the contest, which was aided by opening the game with a 13-3 run. Gordon did not have an answer for Wegrzynek in the early going, as the senior forward went off for six points over the course of the opening run. On the other end, Gordon struggled to find open shots against Nichols lengthy defenders, and the offense was carried by the Scots' ability of getting to the free throw line.

Over the next six minutes, Gordon freshman Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) outscored the entire Nichols team and helped Gordon its deficit to four at 17-13, capped off by a triple from the extended elbow. Junior Mariel Barner (Colorado Springs, Colo.) closed the gap to three points just a few minutes later with a three in the right corner at 20-17.

Gordon and Nichols traded baskets until the final two minutes of the half. After the Scots cut the Bison lead to two, the Bison closed the half on a 6-0 run and took an eight-point lead to the locker room (30-22). Smith led all scorers at the intermission with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Nichols shot for a higher percentage from the field in the first half at 41 percent, compared to only 30 percent for the Fighting Scots. The Bison also held the early rebounding advantage, 23-18.

True to the narrative of the first half, Nichols put together a solid first 10 minutes of the second half and opened a 13-point lead. Linnell and senior Brooke Kratche (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) carried the Fighting Scots offense in the second half with eight and nine points, respectively. Gordon was eventually able to cut Nichols advantage to four in the closing minute, but it could never get within a one-possession deficit.

Wegrzynek also finished the night with a game-high three steals. Junior Jessica Kelliher (Marshfield, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with seven points, four assists, three rebounds, and two steals in 35 minutes of action. Sophomore Julia Zawacki (Waterford, Conn.) snared seven rebounds.

Smith led the Scots with 13 points, doing much of her damage at the charity stripe. Kratche and Linnell both added 11 points, while Barner turned in nine. Linnell continued her dominance on the backboard by cleaning up 14 rebounds, her fifth double-digit rebound performance of the season.

The Bison close 2014 with a 6 p.m. contest against Springfield Friday night. Gordon plays at Lasell Sunday at 2 p.m.