Women’s Basketball Outlasts Nichols, 76-70

QUINCY, Mass.- Led by its four seniors, the Eastern Nazarene College women's basketball team played the final 2:49 with four players and notched a 76-70 victory over Nichols Tuesday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center.

The Lions climb to 8-7 on the season and 2-6 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the win. The Bison slip to 3-11 overall and 1-7 in league action with the result.

Michelle Detwiler (Elkhart, Ind.) collected her second double-double of the season as she paced the team with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jacquelin Arretche (Los Banos, Calif.) also posted a double-double on the night with 13 points and 10 boards to go with seven assists. Shelby Holmes (Seeley Lake, Mont.) finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Kayla Torio (Manteca, Calif.) registered 17 points and six rebounds.

The home team scored eight of the game's first 10 points to build an 8-2 lead less than two minutes after the tip.

The visitors closed out the first quarter on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 11-10.

Eastern Nazarene widened the gap to nine with 3:55 remaining in the second period as Torio converted the first of two free throw attempts, 26-17.

The Lions held a seven-point advantage at the halftime intermission, 31-24.

Eastern Nazarene shot 36.7% from the floor and 40% from behind the arc in the first half. Nichols posted a field-goal percentage of 31.3% while connecting on 3-of-10 from three-point range in the first two quarters.

Holmes paced the Lions with 15 points and added four rebounds while Torio tallied seven points.

The guests battled back to capture a 37-35 edge with 6:19 left to play in the third period on a three-pointer by Shannon St. Lawrence.

The hosts strung together three consecutive baskets to reclaim the lead, 46-40, with 2:41 remaining in the third.

Eastern Nazarene clung to a 49-44 advantage at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Lions stretched the margin to 65-56 on a pair of free throws by Detwiler with 3:48 left to play in regulation.

Eastern Nazarene was forced to finish the game down a player after an injury and a foul-out with 2:49 on the clock. The Lions matched the Bison with nine points in the final minute of action to snap their four-game skid.

The Lions finished with a field-goal percentage of 43.9% while draining 36% of their three-point attempts on the evening. The Bison shot 41.1% from the floor and 32.0% from beyond the arc in the contest.

Looking ahead, Eastern Nazarene wraps up a three-game home-stand January 18 against Endicott.