DUDLEY, Mass.—A commitment to a consistent effort on the defensive end led Gordon Women's Basketball to a resume-boosting victory over host Nichols on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Scots outscored their opponents in three of the four quarters to notch a 60-49 win and secure a sweep over the Bison for the first time since 2003.
Gordon improves to 7-12 this season and more importantly, 5-7 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. A win on Saturday puts the Scots in prime position to secure a playoff berth for the first time in a decade. Nichols dips to 2-10 in the CCC and 2-16 overall.
The Fighting Scots scooted out to a 10-6 lead over the first six minutes of regulation, using a nice mix of inside and outside offense. Nichols countered back with sophomore Amy Assad (Millis, Mass.), whose seven first-quarter points gave the Bison a 15-12 advantage after the opening period.
Despite Assad adding her second triple of the night to begin the second quarter, giving Nichols an 18-12 lead, Gordon would not be outpaced by the Bison in any remaining period. The Fighting Scots never panicked while facing a six-point deficit that was quickly erased by seven consecutive points as the Bison went cold on their offensive end. Much like the first quarter, Gordon received contributions from several different players on offense, including four from Jamie Tafoya (Fort Collins, Colo.) to slink back to 25-24 edge at halftime.
Things got even better for the Fighting Scots in the second half, as Gordon scored eight of the first 10 points scored in the third to push its lead to seven when Jenna Olson (Rutland, Vt.) made a layup from the left side.
Nichols scored six consecutive points to make it a 33-32 game in Gordon's favor on a pair of free throws, but Meghan Foley (Malden, Mass.) drained a three on a skip pass from Alisha Henderson (Oregon City, Ore.) to give the Scots their swagger back. The Fighting Scots continued to put pressure on the Bison, lofting the lead up to as many as eight and held on to a 43-37 edge entering the fourth.
Once again, Nichols clawed back to make it a single possession game, but a string of solid offensive possessions and a three-point play for Sophie Linnell (Richmond, Va.) put the Scots out of reach for good.
Assad finished as the overall points lead with 15 for the game, while adding eight rebounds and two steals. Senior leader Taylor Daniels (Dudley, Mass.) chipped in a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds with also taking away a game-high four passes.
Olson led Gordon with one of her strongest games of the year with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Foley was the only other Gordon player in double digits with 11 points and 11 rebounds, her first career double-double. Sarah Gibbs (Elizabethtown, Pa.) was a force on the glass with 16 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action, one short of her career high.
The Fighting Scots head home for two games next week against Curry on Tuesday and Endicott a week from today.
Noteworthy
· Gordon has now beaten Nichols in three straight contests after suffering a 15-game losing streak spanning from 2003-2016.
· The Fighting Scots added their third-highest rebounding total of the season on Saturday with 54. Their highest came against the Bison in the first matchup, giving Gordon 114 rebounds against Nichols this year.
