SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (January 27, 2024) – The Western New England women's basketball team shot a team-best 72% from the field, picking up 37 assists on 45 field goals, while Shaina Cooney scored 22 points while ripping down ten rebounds and picking up eight assists to help the Golden Bears to a dominant victory over the Bison of Nichols College. Teammate Emma Novajasky put together her second straight career game, sinking 20 points while grabbing three rebounds and three assists in the win.

Records:

• Western New England: 15-4, 9-2 CCC
• Nichols College: 9-9, 5-5 CCC

How it Happened:

With a tough press to break and a team that leads NCAA Division III in forced turnovers, the Bison of Nichols College came into the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center looking to upset the top-seeded Golden Bears. Shaina Cooney opened the game with the first layup of the game for Western New England to put the Golden Bears ahead 2-0. Nichols' leading scorer, Abrianna Vazquez, dialed in a shot from distance to give the Bison their first lead at 4-3. The Bison would hang tight with Western New England in the first quarter, with the Golden Bears leading by just three points until the end of the first quarter. Emma Kahn and Tara Laugeni combined for five straight points over Nichols to give WNE a 17-14 lead with 3:29 to play in the opening ten minutes. Nichols would get within one point of a tie three times, though the Golden Bears would close the quarter on a 4-0 run when Emma Novajasky and Shaina Cooney both finished at the rim to go ahead 25-20 after the first quarter of play. WNE shot 12/17 from the field in the opening frame, while Nichols hit just 8/25 shots.

An 11-2 run for the Golden Bears would open the second quarter and give WNE their first double-digit lead of the game. Lilly Hedge, Paige Winter, Colleen Furlong, and Tara Laugeni would all contribute early for Western New England as the Golden Bears took a 36-23 lead. Nichols could not close the gap as the Golden Bears had a double-digit lead until late in the second quarter, as the blue and gold would see Novajasky continue to put on an offensive show for Western New England. Nichols would get WNE's lead down to nine with Leandra Ortiz connected on a free throw, though a 10-2 run for Western New England would close out the first half. Shaina Cooney, Emma Kahn, and Lilly Hedge would help WNE take a 55-38 lead after 20 minutes of play. WNE was 12/16 from the floor in the half, grabbing 11 assists on those 12 field goals. The Golden Bears were at +12 in the second quarter.

Western New England would continue to pour it on the Bison in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 28-15. Shaina Cooney opened the quarter as she did in the first with the first points for Western New England, scoring the first six points in the quarter for the Golden Bears. Colleen Furlong would connect on the next six for WNE, as the lead would extend to its largest of the night at 18. Emma Kahn would score a layup to extend the Golden Bears lead to 69-49, while Tara Laugeni would give WNE a 22-point lead, its largest of the game, with 4:32 remaining. The Golden Bears would end the second half with 12 points in the final two minutes of play, with Paige Winter and Emma Novajasky connecting on three-point shots as the Golden Bears took a 30-point lead after three quarters of play. WNE held Nichols to five field goals in the third quarter while scoring on ten of their 15 shots, knocking down two of their three three-point scoring attempts.

The Golden Bears iced the game in the fourth quarter, holding a near 30-point lead for the entirety of the quarter. Shaina Cooney and Lilly Hedge opened the scoring for Western New England in the fourth quarter, and the Golden Bears did not look back. Tara Laugeni would score WNE's 95^th point of the night to score her 18th point of the night, shooting 9/12 from the field. Caeli Fitzpatrick would bury WNE's 100^th point of the night, scoring 100+ points for the second time this season, with the other coming against Nichols. Hannah Blake and Caeli Fitzpatrick would end the game with the final hoops for the Golden Bears as Western New England would take down Nichols by a final score of 107-75.

Inside the Lines:

• Five Golden Bears recorded double figures in scoring. Shaina Cooney led the way with 22 points for WNE, grabbing ten rebounds and eight assists and shooting 10/14 from the field.
• After recording a career high last time out, junior Emma Novajasky erased that career high and put up a new career high this afternoon, scoring 20 points on 7/8 shooting while ripping down three rebounds and grabbing three assists.
• Tara Laugeni (18 points, 9/12 FG), Colleen Furlong (12 points, 5/6 FG), and Lilly Hedge (12 points, 5/7 FG) all heavily contributed for the Golden Bears.
• The lead changed six times, all coming in the first half, with WNE coming away with a lead in the second half for the full 20 minutes of play.
• WNE shot 73% from the field, hitting 45/62 shots. WNE made six threes on the afternoon.
• The Golden Bears recorded 54 bench points in the win and 68 total points in the paint.
• Nichols forced 27 WNE turnovers in the loss while grabbing 13 steals.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears head to Suffolk University on Wednesday, January 30, at 5:30 PM.