Hot Shooting, Brilliant Defense Leads Women's Basketball Past Nichols College, 79-64

DUDLEY, Mass. (January 31, 2022) – The Western New England women's basketball team got another CCC win today on the road for a rescheduled game against the Nichols College Bison 79-64. 

Records:

• Western New England: 7-11, 5-6 CCC
• Nichols College: 7-11, 3-8 CCC

How It Happened:

The Golden Bears came out the gates hot as their first basket of the game was a three-point shot knocked down by Emma Kahn. They continued with an 11-0 shut out for five minutes of play. Nichols College put up a three-pointer to interrupt Western New England's run, but WNE answered back with another nine-point run while the Bison couldn't make a basket. At the 2:25 mark in the first quarter, the Golden Bears were leading 20-3 from two free-throws hit by Lindsey Carey. WNE kept Nichols from knocking in field goals. The rest of the points the Bison put up in the first were all from the foul-line. The quarter's final score was 23-7, Golden Bears. At the end of the first, Shaina Cooney already scored 15 points and nine boards. 

The Bison opened the second quarter with a three on their first play ran. Cooney hit the first basket of the quarter for the Golden Bears, assisted by Julia Quinn. WNE's next couple of baskets were a three hit by Carey, another layup from Cooney, and another three-pointer from Kahn to put them up 33-12 with 6:06 left in the first half. Sam Bodey also added to the three-point shots for WNE for the quarter. Nichols hit more baskets during the second. The Golden Bears outscored Nichols 15 to 10. Both teams did not hit a basket for the remaining 1:30 of the half. The largest lead of the first half was 17 points, and the score going into halftime was an 38-17 edge. 

The Golden Bears started the third quarter building up their lead. Carey hit the first basket of the quarter while Kahn swished in another shot from beyond the arc. Grace Fisher hit a basket before the Bison scored in the third. Within two minutes, the lead was up to 28 points. There were a lot of points that came from the free-throw line as well. Although the Bison put up as many points as the Golden Bears did in the third quarter, the Golden Bears maintained a 20 point lead for almost the entirety of the third quarter. The period ended with a score of 58-37, in favor of WNE. 

In the final quarter the Bison outscored WNE 27-21, but by then it was too late for them to get back in the game. Fisher put up some points in the fourth, and Quinn got her shot to fall and knocked down two three-point shots in the fourth quarter. There were a lot of foul shots taken by WNE that they capitalized on. They went 71.1 percent from the foul-line on the game. The Golden Bears won the game with a final score of 79-64.

Inside the Numbers:

• As a team, the Golden Bears shot 33.3 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from the three, 71.1 percent from the foul line, while grabbing an impressive 67 rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks, and two steals.
• Nichols College had 31.4 percent from the paint, 18.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 60.0 percent from the free throw line while pulling down 37 rebounds, nine assists, 13 steals and one block.
• The Golden Bears were led by Cooney who had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, plus two assists. Kahn also had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds on the night.
• Carey added 11 points, eight boards and two assist. Quinn led the team in assists with five.

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears return to the Anthony Caprio Healthful Living Center on February 2, for their second match up with the Endicott Gulls for the season, at 5:30 p.m.
• The Nichols Bison remain at home for their next game against Salve Regina University. The game will take place on February 2, with a tipoff time of 5:30 p.m.