WENHAM, Mass.  – Nichols College junior Mekaela Fithian-Giantonio poured in a career-high 21 points to lead the women's basketball team in a 65-45 defeat to Gordon College on Saturday afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action in Wenham, Mass.
 
Nichols drops to 3-15 overall and 1-10 in league games, while Gordon improves to 7-12 and 5-7 in the CCC. The Bison return home on Tuesday night when they host Curry College at 5:30 p.m.
 
Fithian-Giantonio connected on 8-of-15 shots from the field, including 5-of-12 three-pointers, to go with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 40 minutes of action. Senior Allison Cerrato joined her in double-figures with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal while also going the distance with 40 minutes played. Freshman Isabella Nerney grabbed four rebounds and added five assists, while Desiree Rivera led the Bison with eight boards on the day.
 
Gordon was led by a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds from sophomore Meghan Foley. Classmate Sarah Gibbs added nine points and 10 rebounds, while junior Brooke Dyson had 17 points off the bench.
 
Gordon jumped out to an early 7-2 lead following a triple from Dyson, and Fithian-Giantonio answered right back with a three of her own to make it a 7-5 game with 8:19 to play. Another jumper from the junior kept it a two-point game, and a three-pointer at the 4:37 mark cut the deficit to 15-10. The Fighting Scots ended the period on a 7-4 run, with Fithian-Giantonio netting another triple for the Bison, as Gordon took a 22-14 advantage into the second quarter.
 
Nichols continued to chip away, and back-to-back jumpers by Fithian-Giantonio and Rivera pulled the Bison to 26-22 with 6:51 remaining. Gordon had the answer again, this time using an 11-0 run to end the half and take a 37-22 lead into the break.
 
Fithian-Giantonio picked up right where she left off as she opened the third quarter with a three and a jumper inside from Cerrato cut the deficit to 38-27 with 7:53 to play in the period. Cerrato converted a three-point play nearly four minutes later, and another score inside by the senior at the 1:52 mark pulled the Bison to 49-35, but Gordon took a 51-35 lead into the final frame.
 
A pair of free throws from Cerrato kept Nichols to within 53-40 and 6:56 remaining, but that would be as close as the Bison would get as Gordon pulled away for the 65-45 victory.
 
Nichols shot 30.9% (17-of-55) from the field, 20% (5-of-20) from beyond the arc, and 66.7% (6-of-9) at the free throw line in the setback. Gordon knocked down 44.6% (25-of-56) of its shots in the game, including 46.7% (7-of-15) of its triples and 72.7% (8-of-11) of its free throws. The Fighting Scots held a 42-30 advantage in rebounds, while the Bison committed only 13 turnovers to 14 for the home team.
 
All-Time Series
Saturday marked the 46th meeting between the two programs, and Gordon leads the all-time series, 25-21.