NEWPORT, R.I. – Senior Amber Litwinko (Berlin, Conn.) scored a team-high 20 points in Nichols College's 57-46 loss at Salve Regina University Thursday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's basketball action at the Rogers Recreation Center.

Litwinko played 39 minutes and also tallied five rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Sophomore Taylor Daniels (Dudley, Mass.) dropped in nine points while senior captain Alexis Wegrzynek (Wilbraham, Mass.) pulled down 10 rebounds and scored six points as the Bison slipped to 4-13 on the season (1-9 CCC).

Senior Brianna Del Valle (Belchertown, Mass.) led three Salve Regina student-athletes in double figures with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting (50.0 percent). Junior Meghan Harden (Sandwich, Mass.) filled the stat sheet with 15 points, seven boards, three assists, and two steals while senior Laura Anne Dinan (Monterey, Mass.) went for 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

The Seahawks (11-7, 8-3 CCC) canned 46 percent of their field goal attempts (22-of-48) and outrebounded the Bison 41-35. Nichols, meanwhile, forced 19 turnovers but only scored eight points off them. The Bison struggled from behind the arc, knocking down just two of their 17 attempts.

The Seahawks opened up a 10-point first half lead 13 minutes into the contest following a jumper from freshman Allyson Esielionis (Shirley, Mass.). The lead grew to 14 on a jumper from Dinan with 5:47 on the clock, and a three at the horn from Dinan sent SRU to the locker room up 36-23. Del Valle led all scorers with 14 while Litwinko paced Nichols with 12.

Nichols opened the second on a 10-4 run to trim its deficit to seven (40-33) as Wegrzynek and Daniels each scored four. The Seahawks answered with a 7-0 run of their own to grab a 47-33 lead midway through the second half on a jumper from Del Valle. The Bison did not get closer than nine the rest of the way.

The Bison host Roger Williams Saturday at 2 p.m. while the Seahawks head to Wentworth for a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday.