BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team collected a 71-49 Commonwealth Coast Conference victory over Nichols College Wednesday evening.
 
Hawk Highlights
Sam Leone (Ashland, Mass.): 21 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, 3 steals
Sam Mancinelli (Peabody, Mass.): 13 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals
Karli Opalka (Southbury, Conn.): 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 steals
Sophie Araneo (Branford, Conn.): 2 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
 
For The Opponents
Alexis Finnerty (Chester, Conn.): 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Gina Parmenter (Oxford, Mass.): 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Leandra Ortiz (Ridgewood, N.Y.): 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Jillian Spillane (Paxton, Mass.): 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
 
How It Happened
A strong performance by the Roger Williams University defense helped stall the Nichols offense. The Bison shot only 29.0 percent from the field while committing 21 turnovers in the game.
 
Sam Leone and Karli Opalka helped give Roger Williams a 20-9 first quarter lead, as Opalka scored ten points in the opening quarter, while Leone assisted on eight of those points. In the second, Roger Williams held Nichols to only two points over the opening three minutes of play, while extending the lead to 18. The Bison were able to pull within 13 but RWU went back up by 18 to go into halftime up 36-18.
 
A drought for the Bison in the beginning of the second half saw Nichols score only two points in the first four minutes of play. Roger Williams would lead by as many as 27 in the third and would not allow Nichols to pull closer than 20 the rest of the way.
 
What's Next
Roger Williams (15-9, 11-4 CCC): Saturday, February 22 at Univ. of New England @ 1:00pm
Nichols (5-19, 3-12 CCC): Saturday, February 22 vs. Gordon @ 1:00pm