Women’s Basketball Overpowers Nichols, 56-43

QUINCY, Mass.- The Eastern Nazarene women's basketball team picked up a 56-43 victory over Nichols Tuesday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center. The win lifts the Lions to 10-9 overall and 5-7 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference while also snapping a two-game skid. The Bison dip to 6-12 on the year and 3-9 in league contests with the loss.

Freshman Jordan Grays (Elk Grove, Calif.) led all players with a career-high 14 points and 12 rebounds to notch her first collegiate double-double. Junior Abbie Tonello (Bourne, Mass.) finished with 11 points and nine boards. Senior Shardae Brown (Waterbury, Conn.) deposited eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Mel Green (Annapolis, Md.) hauled in a season-best 13 boards while adding seven points. Ace Carradine (Honolulu, Hawaii) recorded nine points and a team-high four assists.

Hayley Zophin paced Nichols with 14 points and nine boards. Sarah Whitestone chipped in with nine points off the bench while Devon Spirka tallied six points, four helpers and three steals.

Eastern Nazarene started the contest with eight unanswered points to claim an 8-0 lead after 4:37 had elapsed.

The Bison got on the board with 13:20 remaining in the half as Zophin banked in a lay-up.

Nichols trimmed the margin to one with 9:41 showing on the clock, 11-10, as Natalie Wilson sank a lay-in.

The Lions responded with a 9-0 run to grab a 20-10 advantage with six minutes left to play.

Eastern Nazarene widened the gap to 16 in the final minute of the first frame as Katelyn Memory (Kiowa, Colo.) buried her lone three-pointer on the night.

The Lions gripped to a 30-14 edge at the break.

Tonello led all players at halftime with seven points while adding six boards. Grays registered six first-half points and seven rebounds. Green grabbed eight boards in the opening frame, including six on the defensive end.

Eastern Nazarene shot 32.4% from the field in the first period and 27.3% from long distance. Nichols was held to 24.0% shooting in the opening 20 minutes of action and just one three-pointer on three attempts.

The Lions pushed the margin to 21 points 3:49 into the second stanza, 37-16, on a lay-up by Brown.

The Bison drew to within 10 points, 42-32, as Kristina Lindgren knocked down a jumper with 9:26 left to go.

The hosts tallied three consecutive baskets to expand the lead to 16 points with 7:07 remaining.

Eastern Nazarene maintained its lead for the remainder of the contest to secure its 10th win of the 2012-13 campaign.

The Lions finished with a field-goal percentage of 32.3% and shot 31.3% from behind the arc. Nichols connected on 28.1% of its shot attempts in the game.

The home team controlled a lopsided 61-30 advantage in rebounding on the night, including a 23-6 edge on the offensive glass.

Up next, Eastern Nazarene journeys to the Ocean State to square off against Salve Regina January 31. The Lions dropped a 76-53 decision to the Seahawks earlier in the season at home.