January 17, 2007
SKIBA SCORES CAREER-HIGH 31 IN BRYANT WIN OVER SOUTHERN
NH
Northeast-10 Conference Women's
Basketball
MANCHESTER, NH - Senior guard Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI)
scored 27 of her career-high 31 points in the second half as the
Bryant University women's basketball team snapped a two-game slide
with a 79-68 win over Southern New Hampshire Wednesday night in
Northeast-10 Conference action.
Skiba, who came off the bench for the Bulldogs early in the
first half, helped spark a 12-3 Bryant run midway through the
second half to break open a tight game. Trailing 40-37, Skiba
drained a three from the left side and moments later followed with
a fast-break layup following a SNHU turnover, giving the Bulldogs a
42-40 lead with 12:39 left.
A Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) three from the top of the
key gave the Bulldogs a 49-43. Kokoski would finish with a
team-high seven assists in 36 minutes of action.
Southern New Hampshire (5-13, 2-6 NE-10) would make one last run
at the Bulldogs, but another three by Skiba followed by a Lauren
Rubenoff (New Hartford, Conn.) jumper in the paint pushed the
visitor's lead to 61-55 with just over 10 minutes left to
play.
The Penmen would go ice cold from the field during a six minute
stretch, giving the Bulldogs plenty of opportunities to close the
door on Southern NH and the Bulldogs responded nicely. Erin
Murphy (Albany, NY) scored after an offensive rebound and Skiba
scored on a layup and was fouled on the play to give Bryant its
largest lead of the game, 71-61 and the Bulldogs were never
threatened.
Skiba's previous career-best was 26 points scored against
Stonehill last season. Tonight, the guard made 11 of 18 from
the floor and was 5-for-10 from three-point range. Freshman
Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) had 18 points and seven rebounds
while Murphy finished with 16 and added eight rebounds.
Bryant (11-7, 7-6 NE-10) shot 50 percent from the floor in the
game including 60 percent in the second half.
Both teams struggled from the field in the first half as both
Bryant and Southern New Hampshire shot below 40 percent from the
floor and turned the ball over a combined 27
times.
The Bulldogs will host Le Moyne College this Saturday at 1:30
p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center.
