Women’s Basketball Tripped Up at Nichols

DUDLEY, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's basketball team fell to the Nichols Bison on Tuesday evening. Taylor Garabedian led the Leopards with 23 points, shooting 8-17 from the field, to go with a team-high four assists while Elise Ayer added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Mia Luna Zayas added five points, three rebounds, and three assists and Tita Rana grabbed seven rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams started well from behind the arc as Zayas knocked down a three on the Leopards' first possession to give the visitors the early advantage. Summer Klein and Alyvia Smith hit back-to-back threes before Gianna Gioia's triple knotted things up at 6-6. Nichols went on a 14-2 run in the last five minutes of the first quarter to take a 20-8 lead into the break.
• The Bison found a rhythm in the second quarter and extended their lead to 20 points at the midway mark of the frame. Ayer and Garabedian knocked down shots to cut into the deficit as the quarter came to an end. Nichols shot 50% from the field in the second quarter and Wentworth shot 53%. The hosts held the edge on the glass, outrebounding the Leopards 27-15 with a 12-2 advantage on the offensive glass. Nichols led 44-25 at the half.
• Ayer and Garabedian scored in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Bison held a 55-29 lead with six minutes to play in the third. Garabedian continued to lead the Leopards' offense, completing a three-point play with just under three minutes to go. The sophomore hit another jumper, and Ayer grabbed a defensive rebound before knocking down a pair of free throws to make it 59-39 with under a minute to play in the third. Wentworth shot the ball 55.6% in the third, their best frame of the night, and outrebounded Nichols 9-8 with an 8-5 edge on the defensive glass. The Bison led 59-40 through three quarters.
• Nichols held Wentworth scoreless for the first four minutes of the fourth while extending their lead to 25 behind buckets from Klein and Angie Coletti. Two free throws from Garabedian broke the scoring drought for the Leopards with five minutes remaining in the game. The Bison went on to win 75-48 to improve to 9-5 on the season while Wentworth falls to 1-12 on the year.

THE SERIES

• Tonight was the 46th all-time meeting between the teams.

NEXT UP

• The Leopards host Gordon on Saturday afternoon. 

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