Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- In a The Commonwealth Coast Conference regular-season finale at the Campus Center, the University of New England Nor'easters used balanced scoring to defeat the Nichols College Bison, 68-63, to end Nichols' winning streak at 21.

The Nor'easters finish the regular season with an overall record of 19-6 and a conference mark of 12-1.  The 19-win total is UNE's highest since the 1989-90 season.  The Bison lost for the first time in TCCC play (12-1) and complete the regular season with a 22-3 mark.

After an opening 16 minutes that featured 12 lead-changes and four ties, UNE grabbed a lead they would not relinquish with a 7-0 run (29-22).  Sophomore forward Chelsey Meszaros (North Clarendon, Vt.) accounted for all seven of the points - her total for the game.

Nichols would respond in the final three minutes of the half with a 7-1 surge to close the gap to one (30-29) before finishing the frame trailing by three (32-29).

The Nor'easters led by no less than three the whole second half, extending their cushion to as many as 11 (58-47) with 3:27 remaining.

Senior Alli Gamache (Dudley, Mass.) and first-year Kelley Paradis (Newport, Maine) paced UNE with 12 points apiece.  Gamache also dished out seven assists.  Sophomore Carrie Bunnell (Barnet, Vt.) added 11 points and matched first-year Hillary Laferriere (Veazie, Maine) with a team-high eight rebounds.

Ashley Robidoux (Milford, Mass.) scored a game-high 16 points for the Bison.  Jessica Nelson (North Providence, R.I.) chipped in with 14, and MaryLynn Skarzenski (Woodbridge, N.J.) tallied 11 points while sharing the team-high of eight boards with teammate Margaret Lilly (Ashfield, Mass.).

The Nor'easters enter the TCCC Tournament as the third seed and will host No. 6 Western New England College Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Campus Center.  The game will be Web cast live at http://athletics.une.edu/stream.asx

Nichols -- the No. 1 seed for the tournament -- will entertain No. 8 Curry College on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.