Women’s Basketball Ends Winless Streak with Victory Against Nichols (Mass.) College

SALEM, MASS. — Senior guard Brittany Mayle (Mantua/Crestwood) scored a season-high 18 points as the Hiram College women’s basketball team defeated Nichols (Mass.) College, 52-49, today (Wednesday, Dec. 30) in the consolation game of the Salem State College Holiday Classic in Salem, Mass. The Terriers claim their first win of the season and end a 13-game winless streak dating back to the 2008-09 season. [Game Stats]

Following today’s win, Hiram is now 1-10 overall and the Bison are now 5-4 overall for the season.

Nichols scored the first four points of the first half, but six unaswered points by Hiram on back-to-back three-pointers by Mayle and freshman guard Chelsea Kovach (Lakewood) gave the Terriers their first lead of the game, 6-4, at the 17:02 minute mark. The Bison later regained the lead and led by as many as five points, 14-9, with 10:37 left in the period. An ensuing 5-0 scoring run by Hiram knotted the game at 14-14 at the 8:14 mark. Both teams exchanged leads again in the final minutes of the half as Nichols took a slim 24-22 margin heading into the locker rooms.

Both teams continued to exchange leads in the second half and recorded the 10th tie of the game at the 5:44 mark with the teams deadlocked at 48-48. The Terriers tallied the only points in the final 5:44 that included a pair of free-throws by Mayle with 20 seconds left to seal a 52-49 victory.

Nichols was led by Jessic Nelson with 15 points on seven-of-12 shooting (58.3 percent). She also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Ashley Robidoux was the only other Bison player in double figures with 12 points.

Hiram was led by Mayle’s game and season-high 18 points on five-of-12 shooting (41.7 percent), including three-of-five from the behind the three-point line (60.0 percent). Senior All-North Coast Athletic Conference forward Ashley Drum (Parma/Valley Forge) and junior forward Caitlyn Ruese (Strongsville) rounded out the Hiram high-scorers with 10 points each. In addition, senior forward Alex Dellas (Willoughby Hills/South) pulled down a game-high eight boards.

Hiram will return home and continue its NCAC schedule on Friday, Jan. 8 when it travels to Springfield to take on Wittenberg University. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Hiram College Sports Information Director Jeff Hoedt by phone at (330) 569-5495, by FAX at (330) 569-5392 or by email at hoedtjm@hiram.edu.