Monday, November 17, 2008
BRYANT FALLS TO FDU IN FIRST
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE MATCHUP, 59-51, MONDAY NIGHT
Boxscore
TEANECK, N.J. - In its first-ever regular-season contest
against a Northeast Conference opponent, the Bryant University
women's basketball team, led by sophomore Siamone
Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.), fell to Fairleigh Dickinson
University, 59-51, Monday night at the Rothman Center.
Early turnovers plagued the Bulldogs (1-1) against the Knights
(1-0), as Bryant committed six turnovers in the first eight minutes
and went on to give up 16 turnovers in the first half. But tough
defense kept Bryant at an 8-8 tie with 12 minutes left to play in
the opening frame.
Fairleigh Dickinson put pressure on the Bryant shooters
throughout the half, forcing the Bulldogs into frequent shot clock
troubles without allowing a three through the 7:25 mark when junior
Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) knocked down
a shot from beyond the arc to make the score 15-13 in Bryant's
favor.
Key buckets from sophomore Amanda Pierlioni (Plainfield,
Conn.) kept Bryant in it, knotting the game at 17-17 and
again at 19-19, but the Bulldogs' turnover troubles returned in the
final five minutes of the frame, giving the ball up in
three-straight possessions for a trio of FDU baskets. The Bulldogs
would end the half with 16 total turnovers.
Poor shooting on the part of the Knights - the home team shot
just 25 percent through the opening 12:28 - and strong play on the
glass kept the tally close until the Knights opened the game up to
finish the half, scoring 11 points in the final four minutes to
send the Bulldogs into the locker room down, 32-36.
FDU managed to keep two-year leading scorer Kelsey
O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) to just two shots and no points
while limiting senior co-captain Cara Johnson (Endicott,
N.Y.) to just four points.
Pierlioni led the Bulldogs at the half with six points while the
Bulldogs outrebounded the Knights, 29-15.
The second half opened quickly for in the Knights, as FDU went
on a 9-0 run to hold Bryant scoreless for the first 4:46 and go up,
41-26.
The first two minutes also brought foul trouble to O'Keefe, who
earned her third foul with 18:01 left, with Bennett and Pierlioni
not far behind.
The Bulldogs kept FDU without a point for 6:14 near the middle
of the half, and a trey from frosh Lekia Cowen (Hopedale,
Mass.) cut the Bryant deficit to 43-33 with 10:40 to play.
Cowen tried the three again 30 seconds later, this time getting
fouled on the way down. The rookie knocked down all three free
throws only to see Pierlioni get fouled a minute later to cut the
Knights' lead to 43-38 with two more freebies with 9:22 on the
clock.
But the Bulldogs would follow it with a seven-minute scoreless
drought of their own, as the home side regained a 50-38 advantage.
Bryant cut FDU's lead to single digits with a Johnson jumper
with 1:04 remaining, 52-43, but it wouldn't be enough as the
Knights took a final 59-51 tally.
The Bulldogs were led on the night by eight points from Johnson,
while Bennett owned the glass with 12 boards and chipped in six
points. Bryant registered seven blocks - three of them coming from
Bennett - while O'Keefe totaled seven boards and nine points. The
Bulldogs outrebounded the Knights, 60-49.
FDU's Christy Altamirano paced the game with 20 points,
collecting nine boards in the process.
The Bulldogs next hit the hardwood on Sunday, Nov. 23 when they
travel to Binghamton, N.Y. to take on Binghamton University at 2:00
p.m.
