Nichols 64, Gordon 54
Dudley, Mass. – Nichols Athletic Center
Thursday, January 14, 2016
All-Time Series & Streaks
Nichols ran its win streak against the Fighting Scots to 15 – including seven in a row in Dudley – and now trails the all-time series, 21-20.
1) Nichols senior Jessica Kelliher (Marshfield, Mass.) – led all scorers with 17 points (5-of-6 FT) and also filled the stat sheet with five boards, four assists, and four steals in 36 minutes
2) Gordon freshman Jamie Tafoya (Fort Collins, Colo.) – recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes
3) Nichols junior Brittany Donovan (Newport, R.I.) – dropped in a career-high nine points and grabbed four rebounds while providing solid defense to spark the Bison comeback
Nichols overcame an 11-point second quarter deficit and outscored the Fighting Scots 21-12 in the decisive fourth quarter to earn a 64-54 win Thursday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at the Nichols Athletic Center. Kelliher dropped in a career-high 17 points – 11 of which came in the second half – while junior Taylor Daniels (Dudley, Mass.) added 11 and sophomore Allison Cerrato (Rockland, Mass.) scored 10 points. Tafoya and sophomore Kristen Smith (Littleton, Mass.) each netted 15 to pace Gordon.
Key Stat of the Game
The Bison shot a scorching 52 percent in the second half (14-of-27) as they outscored the Fighting Scots 44-28 over the final 20 minutes.
Turning Point
Trailing by nine (33-24) with seven minutes to go in the second quarter, the Bison ripped off a 33-14 run over the next 11 minutes to grab a 57-47 lead. Kelliher and Donovan each scored eight during the run while Daniels added seven. Donovan scored the final six points of the fun, highlighted by a three-pointer from the left side.
Quick Hits
-Nichols forced 27 turnovers which led to 18 points. Sophomore Brooke Packard (Dudley, Mass.) led the way with five steals while Kelliher registered four.
-The Bison outrebounded Gordon, 37-35, led by Daniels with eight and Cerrato with six. Tafoya's 11 led the Fighting Scots.
-Gordon closed the game shooting 44 percent (21-of-48) while Nichols banged in 37 percent of its shots (22-of-59).
"We showed tremendous resiliency as a team. We dug ourselves a hole early on, but our seniors really helped us stay positive and keep working hard. Jess Kelliher was the best player on the floor tonight and Chelsey Mahoney came off the bench and gave us some solid minutes. Allison was a force in the paint and, along with Brittany, was one of the key reasons our defense slowed down Gordon in the second half. It's nice to see all of our hard work in practice pay off with a win tonight." – Nichols head coach Alice Mullen
Next up
Nichols (2-12, 1-6 CCC) – Saturday, January 16 @ Curry, 1:00 p.m.
Gordon (4-10, 0-7 CCC) – Saturday, January 16 @ Endicott, 1:00 p.m.