Friday, November 28, 2008
BULLDOGS CAN'T HOLD ONTO HALFTIME
LEAD, FALL TO HOST URI IN GAME ONE OF RHODY CLASSIC, 64-57
Boxscore
KINGSTON, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team,
led by 17 points from junior co-captain Kelsey O'Keefe
(Warren, Mass.), couldn't hold onto a nine-point halftime
lead in Friday's game against the University of Rhode Island,
falling in the first day of the Rhody Classic, 64-57, at the Ryan
Center.
The Bulldogs (2-3) led through the whole first frame, getting
their first three-point edge when O'Keefe made good on a shot from
downtown, fed by freshman Shannon Wood (Gorham,
Maine) to make the score 11-8 in Bryant's favor.
Sophomore Amanda Pierlioni (Plainville, Conn.)
converted on a three-point play at the 10:43 mark to put the
visiting Bulldogs up, 14-8 - an advantage that would grow to 18-8
thanks to back-to-back buckets from junior Jaime Campbell
(Springfield, Mass.).
That would be Bryant's biggest lead of the half, as URI came
back to within two with 5:33 on the clock after Tanja Licina made a
basket and was fouled seconds after, making good on both ends of a
one-and-one opportunity to narrow the Bulldogs' lead to 20-18.
The Rams (3-2) would knot the game at 24-24 with four minutes to
go, but that would be all the scoring the home side would do in the
remainder of the half, as Bryant went on a 9-0 run to close out the
frame and enter the intermission with a 33-24 advantage.
The Bulldogs shot just 37.5 percent in the half, but tough
defense kept the Rams to just 21.2 percent while Bryant also led
the rebound game at the break, 29-24.
But the Bulldogs were outworked in the second half, struggling
to contain the turnovers that have plagued them all season.
And after O'Keefe opened the second half with a big three to
make the score 36-24, Bryant found itself in major foul trouble
very quickly.
Three fouls on sophomore "bigman" Siamone Bennett
(Newburgh, N.Y.) and O'Keefe sent them both to the bench
in the early minutes of the frame, while fouls on the part of the
rest of the Bulldogs - Bryant had six fouls in the first 5:22 -
allowed URI to slowly cut into the Bulldog lead, almost strictly
from points at the line.
The Rams, who found themselves in the double-bonus just nine
minutes in, pulled to within three with 14:00 to go when Lindsay
Harris completed the three-point play to make the tally 40-37. The
home side pulled within one at the 10:21 mark with a bucket from
Sierra Cooper, and took its first lead of the contest with 7:02
showing on the clock, 49-48, off a Megan Shoniker basket.
The Rams grew their lead from there, while Bryant tried to keep
it within four, making the score 61-57 with under a minute to play.
But the Bulldogs wouldn't be able to catch the host team before
time expired, falling, 64-57.
URI earned half of its second-half points from the charity
stripe, going 20-for-24 on the second frame and 27-of-34 for the
game. Bryant made just 61.9 percent from the line, going 13-for-21
on the day. The Bulldogs gave up 14 turnovers in the second half,
also committing 17 fouls in the frame. The Bulldogs were outscored,
40-24 in the second half, while URI evened the rebound game, 43-43
at game's end.
O'Keefe tied a game-high with 17 points, collecting six boards
while Pierlioni and Campbell also registered double-digit points
with 11 and 13, respectively. Junior Courtney Schermerhorn
(Lowell, Mass.) paced Bryant on the glass with eight
rebounds.
Shoniker's 17 points led the Rams.
Bryant returns to the Ryan Center Saturday for a matchup against
Cornell University, who fell to Central Connecticut State
University, 74-66, in the Rhody Classic's early game on Friday.
Tipoff is 12:00 p.m.
