DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior Brittany Donovan (Newport, R.I.) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Nichols College women's basketball team, which suffered a 68-61 loss to Curry College Thursday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at the Nichols Athletic Center.
 
Classmate Taylor Daniels (Dudley, Mass.) collected 15 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists for the Bison, who shot 32 percent from the field and 82 percent from the charity stripe (14-of-17). Junior Allison Cerrato (Rockland, Mass.) chipped in with nine points and four rebounds.
 
Sophomore Emily Irwin (Billerica, Mass.) poured in a game-high 27 points (9-of-16 FG) and also notched 10 rebounds, seven steals, and four assists for Curry, which outrebounded Nichols 49-43. Classmate Molly Plunkett (Quincy, Mass.) picked up a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The two teams were tied at 17 after one as Daniels netted seven for Nichols and both Irwin and Plunkett scored six for the visitors. Curry carried a three-point lead into halftime behind 14 points from Plunkett and 13 from Irwin. Donovan had five points and seven boards at the break.
 
Irwin scored seven points in the third quarter to help the Colonels extend their lead to 52-47. In the fourth, consecutive buckets from junior Nicole Rice (Woburn, Mass.) put Curry ahead by 11 with 7:31 remaining. The Bison went on a 11-2 run over the next four minutes to cut their deficit to one at 60-59 following a three-point play from Donovan.
 
Later in the frame, Cerrato converted a jumper from the right corner to make it 64-61 Curry with 1:21 remaining. Rice made a layup at the other end to make it a five-point game with under 60 seconds remaining, and Irwin knocked down a pair of free throws with 26 seconds to go to secure the win.
 
All-Time Series
Tonight's contest marked the 46th all-time meeting between Nichols College and Curry College. The Bison have dropped five-straight to the Colonels and trail the series, 27-19.
 
Next Games
Nichols (1-10, 1-4 CCC) – Saturday, January 7 @ UNE, 1:00 p.m.
Curry (4-8, 2-3 CCC) – Saturday, January 7 @ Eastern Nazarene, 1:00 p.m.