December 28, 2007

2007 BRYANT HOLIDAY CLASSIC

BRYANT DEFEATS NEW YORK TECH, 69-45, TO OPEN TOURNAMENT FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Boxscore

ADRIANNE MAYSHAR LED THE BULLDOGS WITH 11 BOARDS IN 69-45 WIN OVER NEW YORK TECH FRIDAY

SMITHFIELD, RI - The Bryant University women's basketball team topped the New York Institute of Technology, 69-45, Friday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center in the opening game of the 2007 Bryant Holiday Classic. Lifted by 23 points from sophomore Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.), the Bulldogs upped their winning streak to seven straight with the victory.

The Bulldogs (9-2) started off strong and got creative five minutes in, when off a rebound senior Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) heaved a long pass down court to sophomore Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.). Schermerhorn flipped it across the arc to junior Cara Johnson (Endicott, NY), who pushed the ball back into the paint for the oncoming O'Keefe, whose pretty layup ended the play and put Bryant up, 9-4.

The home team would steadily continue to up its lead, owning a 31-10 advantage with 6:22 to play before the intermission. New York Tech (3-7) scored eight points in the final three minutes and held Bryant to just four, but the Bulldogs took a 38-20 lead into the break.

The Bears took a beating on the boards, 32-12, while Bryant held New York Tech to 6-of-20 shooting from the floor in the first frame. O'Keefe entered the locker room with 15 first-half points while Schermerhorn and Kokoski paced the Bulldogs on the glass with six apiece.

The second half was much of the same, with Bryant maintaining its double-digit lead throughout the frame. The advantage allowed the Bulldogs to give playing time to its younger ranks, as Bryant's freshman class combined for 14 points.

O'Keefe's 8-for-14 shooting and 23 points were a game high, while Adrianne Mayshar (West Boylston, Mass.) grabbed a game-best 11 boards. Bryant outrebounded New York Tech, 55-31, while outshooting the Bears, 39.1 percent to 30.4 percent. NYIT was paced by Emily Bolling's 11 points.

Bryant returns to action tomorrow to close out the women's side of the 2007 Bryant Holiday Classic in a bout with Caldwell College, Saturday, Dec. 29 at 3:00 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center.

GAME 2: CALDWELL EDGES SAINT ANSELM, 76-65

SMITHFIELD, RI - In the second game of Bryant Holiday Classic Day 1 action, the Caldwell College women's basketball team topped Saint Anselm, 76-65, Friday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center on the back of 21 points from sophomore Mackenzie Lynch.

Caldwell (8-1) came out blazing, working toward a 30-12 lead with six minutes to play in the first half before Saint Anselm (3-7) went on a 20-7 run to close out the opening frame and enter halftime down, 37-32.

Second-half play saw the Hawks continue to narrow the Cougars' lead - thanks to 6-for-6 shooting from Saint Anselm's Erin Higgins, including five buckets from 3-point land - before taking their first edge since owning a 4-2 lead early in the first half. Saint Anselm found its 50-47 advantage on the back of a Cassandra Thorpe 3-point play with 13:29 to go in regulation.

The score remained tight for most of the second frame, until the Cougars began to pull away once more, regaining a double-digit lead, 68-58, with just over two minutes showing on the clock. As the buzzer sounded, Caldwell held a nine-point edge for the 76-65 final.

Higgins, who finished the game with 8-for-10 shooting from the field, tied Lynch's 21 points for a shared game high. Caldwell's Stephanie Cadet and Lynch each grabbed a game-high nine boards. Both teams shot over 40 percent on the day, with the Cougars outshooting the Hawks, 47.3 percent to 44.4 percent.

Both teams will return to action tomorrow for the second round of the Bryant Holiday Classic. Caldwell will take on host Bryant University (3 p.m.), while Saint Anselm faces off with New York Tech (1 p.m.).