SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 17, 2026) – The Western New England women's basketball team held the Bison of Nichols College to single digits in scoring in three of Tuesday night's four quarters, while blowing up for a 23-point third quarter, well on their way to a 65-34 victory in the regular-season home finale. 

Records:

• Western New England: 18-6, 12-3 CNE
• Nichols College: 12-12, 5-10 CNE

How it Happened:

First Quarter:

• A slow start for Western New England saw Nichols jump out to a quick 4-0 lead and then 7-2, following an Alyvia Smith triple. Hannah Blake and Erin Reen had the only two buckets for WNE through the midway point of the opening quarter. The score remained 7-4 in favor of the Bison until an 8-0 run for the Golden Bears gave them their first lead of the game. 
• Sophie Hedge picked up her first four points of the night while Lottia Barnes and Devlyn McDonald helped the Golden Bears lead 12-7 before the Bison scored once more before the quarter ended, seeing WNE lead 12-9 at the end of a helter-skelter opening quarter. 
• WNE shot just 26% from the floor in the opening frame, going 0/5 from deep. 

Second Quarter:

• The opening five points of the quarter went WNE's way, with Sarah West, Sophie Hedge, and Perry Blasetti contributing offensively. Nichols brought the game back to five with a trio of free throws from Kya Burdier before Hedge and Lottia Barnes combined to give WNE its first double-digit lead of the night, 22-11 with 5:03 to play in the quarter. 
• Olivia Chrzan and Barnes scored on back-to-back possessions as the game dwindled down to the final two minutes of the opening half, seeing WNE take a 27-14 lead. Nichols finished the quarter on a 4-0 run to get back within nine by the end of the quarter. 
• WNE's defense held Nichols to just 1/13 shooting in the second quarter, with the lone field goal coming in the final ten seconds of the frame. WNE made just another five field goals, but hit two of their four triples in the frame to lead by nine heading into the second half. 

Third Quarter:

• A dominant third quarter for Western New England put the game away. Sophie Hedge, Hannah Blake, and Paige Winter combined for the opening eight points of the quarter, while Erin Reen, Perry Blasetti, and Winter had Western New England ahead by 22 points at the midway point of the quarter as the offense for the Golden Bears came alive. 
• The Bison had just one field goal in the opening seven minutes of the third quarter, continuing to struggle from the field in the game. Nichols had just two field goal makes in the quarter, while a pair of triples, one from Olivia Chrzan, and another from Winter, saw Western New England take a 50-24 lead after three quarters. 
• Between the second and third quarters, Nichols shot 3/25 from the field. WNE dominated the third quarter, shooting 9/18 and 4/9 from the outside. 

Fourth Quarter:

• The Golden Bears finished off the fourth quarter in dominant fashion. Olivia Chrzan continued to score for the Golden Bears, while Nichols continued to struggle from the field, hitting just three field goals over the eight minutes of action in the frame.
• With WNE ahead by 26, the Golden Bears went to their bench to pull out the win in the final three minutes with Alexa Rabidoux, Katie Regan, and Eliana Wood contributing to the successful Tuesday night, helping the Blue and Gold come up with a 65-34 victory. 

Inside the Lines:

• A total team effort saw Western New England's scoring distributed among 12 different scorers. Sophie Hedge led WNE with 12 points, going 4/9 from the field, and grabbing nine rebounds in the win. 
• Lottia Barnes was in double figures for the second straight game, picking up ten points and a pair of assists. 
• The Golden Bears nailed seven triples in the game as a team. 
• Nichols shot just 21% from the floor in the loss. The Bison had just one quarter with ten points. 
• Tonight's win marks the tenth straight for WNE over Nichols all-time. 

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears have a lot to play for in their final regular-season game of the year on Saturday afternoon. A win locks up the second seed in the upcoming CNE Tournament. WNE travels to Johnson & Wales University, which has already locked up the top seed in the tournament, on Saturday, February 21, at 1:00 PM.