Women’s Basketball Knocks Off Nichols, 46-40

DUDLEY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team overpowered Nichols Thursday evening to post a 46-40 road win. The Lions leap to 7-4 on the year and 3-2 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the victory. With the result, the Bison bend to 4-7 overall and 1-4 in the league.

Senior Shardae Brown (Waterbury, Conn.) hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds while adding 18 points to record her fourth double-double of the year. Mel Green (Annapolis, Md.) contributed with eight points and five boards off the bench. Christina Saint-Pierre (Lantana, Fla.) scored six points and grabbed six rebounds while Ace Carradine (Honolulu, Hawaii) finished with five points and three assists.

Brown netted the visitors' first seven points of the contest, including her first trey of the season to level the score at 7-7 after 5:10 had elapsed.

The opening stanza featured eight ties while the largest margin was four points as the hosts led 21-17 with less than three minutes remaining.

Sarah Whitestone sank a lay-up in the final seconds of the first frame to draw the Bison even with the Lions.

Both squads netted 23 points in the first half. Eastern Nazarene owned a field-goal percentage of 29.4% at intermission while Nichols shot 43.5%.

At the break, Brown led all scorers with 13 points while adding 13 rebounds in the first frame. Saint-Pierre and Green each scored four points for the Lions in the opening period.

Eastern Nazarene snagged a one-point advantage with 15:31 remaining in regulation as Neufeld nailed a three-pointer, 28-27.

Green sank a fast-break lay-up to expand the gap to seven, 34-27, with 12:15 on the clock.

A pair of free throws by Kasey Pelletier with 10:11 left to play sliced the Lions' lead to one, 34-33.

Back-to-back baskets by Carradine lifted the visitors' edge to five points, 38-33, with less than nine minutes remaining.

Heading into the final minute of action, Eastern Nazarene sported a 44-39 advantage.  

The Lions drained 19-of-66 field-goal attempts on the night while Nichols connected on 36.4% of its chances.

Eastern Nazarene held a 44-39 edge in rebounding while also forcing 33 turnovers in the contest.

Up next, the Lions will return home to battle Western New England January 12.