DUDLEY, Mass. – Senior Brooke Packard (Dudley, Mass.) scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Nichols College women's basketball team defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 79-48, in the season finale for both teams.
The Bison snap a 15-game losing streak, ending their season with a 4-21 overall record and a 2-16 mark in league play while the Leopards close out the season at 2-23.
Nichols raced out to a 16-2 lead and held Wentworth without a field goal until junior Michelle McCloskey (Madison, Conn.) hit a layup with 3:45 remaining in the opening quarter. Those were the final points of the frame for the Black & Gold as the Bison led, 20-4, after one quarter.
Packard scored her team's first 10 points of the second quarter as the hosts increased their lead to 20 (30-10). The lead swelled to as many as 24 after senior Allison Cerrato (Rockland, Mass.) hit two free throws with 3:19 remaining before freshman Erin Morton (Norway, Maine) scored Wentworth's next five points; all coming in a 5-1 spurt which made it 37-17 with 2:06 remaining in the half. Nichols led, 39-19, at the break.
Wentworth pulled within 17 on a layup from Morton midway in the third quarter, however, a 15-5 Nichols run to end the quarter gave the Bison a 58-31 after three quarters of play. Wentworth held Nichols without a field goal for the first 2:07 of the final frame and cut the lead to 22 on a junior Francesca Matira (Ledyard, Conn.) jumper 11 seconds later. Five straight Bison points pushed the lead to 27 before two free throws from senior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) and a Matira jumper made it 66-43 with 4:439 remaining. Nichols used a 9-2 run to make it 75-45 with 1:33 left and claimed the 79-48 win.
In addition to Packard's 28 points, three other Bison scored in double figures as freshman Shannon St. Lawrence (Milton, N.H.) scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Cerrato had 17 points and nine rebounds, and freshman Beth Liang (Sparta, N.J.) finished with 10 points.
Freshman Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.) led Wentworth with 11 points and nine rebounds. Morton had 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Sabino had nine points and eight rebounds in her final collegiate game.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
February 17, 2018
Women's Basketball Closes Out Season at Nichols
February 13, 2018
Women's Basketball Honors Graduating Seniors in Final Home Game
February 10, 2018
Endicott Cruises Past Women's Basketball
February 6, 2018
UNE Stages Fourth Quarter Comeback to Down Women's Basketball
February 3, 2018
Roger Williams Slides Past Women's Basketball
January 30, 2018
Gordon Prevails in Overtime over Women's Basketball
January 27, 2018
Third Quarter Run Lifts Eastern Nazarene Past Women's Basketball
January 24, 2018
Curry Uses Fast Start to Roll Past Women's Basketball
January 20, 2018
Seahawks Pull Away from Women's Basketball
January 18, 2018
Hawks Soar Over Women's Basketball
January 13, 2018
Women's Basketball Outlasts Nichols for First Conference Win
January 11, 2018
UNE Outmatches Women's Basketball
January 9, 2018
Fast Start Pushes Gordon Past Women's Basketball
January 6, 2018
Women's Basketball Falls to Endicott
December 14, 2017
Women's Basketball Tripped up at Bridgewater State
December 12, 2017
Mitchell Rallies Past Women's Basketball 68-53
December 9, 2017
Pine Manor Pulls Away From Women's Basketball
December 5, 2017
Fast Start Pushes Salve Regina Past Women's Basketball
December 2, 2017
Women's Basketball Falls to Eastern Nazarene
November 29, 2017
Women's Basketball Rally Comes up Short in League Opener
November 27, 2017
Emerson Outlasts Women's Basketball in Overtime
November 18, 2017
Stretch Run Preserves Women's Basketball's First Win
November 17, 2017
Dean Fends Off Women's Basketball's Late Charge
November 15, 2017
Women's Basketball Falls in Season Opener
November 8, 2017
CCC Preseason Women's Basketball Poll Released