February 13, 2008

BRYANT CRUISES PAST SAINT MICHAEL'S, 70-41, AT HOME WEDNESDAY NIGHT

 Boxscore

Courtney Schermerhorn scored a game-high 14 points in Bryant's 70-41 win over Saint Michael's.

SMITHFIELD, RI - Four Bulldogs scored in double figures Wednesday night, as the Bryant University women's basketball team rolled to a 70-41 win over Saint Michael's College at the Chace Athletic Center.

The Bulldogs (15-9, 10-9 Northeast-10) raced out of the gates and took immediate control of the game over the Purple Knights (13-10, 9-9).

Bryant went up 10-2 with 15:55 to play when senior captain Lynne-Anne Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) forced a turnover from Allison Dunn in the Bulldog key and converted it for a three-point play, getting fouled on the way up to a fastbreak basket at the other end and making good on the resulting free throw.

Bryant doubled up the Purple Knights with 10:37 on the clock, 24-12, when Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) drained a three-point shot from Kokoski, and the pair hooked up again with 1:55 left in the half to push the score to 36-19.

Rookie Kelli Reynolds (Milford, Conn.) made a long jumper at the buzzer, again from Kokoski, to end the half and give the Bulldogs a 38-19 halftime lead.

Bryant continued to go inside to freshman post player Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, NY), who took eight first-half points into the locker room, but it was Schermerhorn's nine off 3-for-5 shooting - including her 2-for-3 from 3-point land - that led the game at the break.

Kokoski collected seven helpers in the frame as the home team shot 47.1 percent from the floor. Saint Michael's Adrienne Carpenter led the Purple Knights at intermission with six points.

It was much of the same in the second half, and the Bulldogs never fell below an 18-point advantage.

After a three-point play opened up the frame, Bryant went the next 3:13 without a bucket, but picked it back up just a minute later when they again doubled Saint Michael's up with a pair of successful free throws from Reynolds, 47-23.

The Bulldogs never gave the Purple Knights a chance to mount any sort of comeback, shooting over 40 percent in the second period to Saint Michael's 32 percent clip for a final tally of 70-41.

Four Bulldogs finished the game in double-figure scoring, with Cara Johnson (Endicott, NY) and Schermerhorn leading the game at 14 apiece and Bennett and Kokoski both registering 10. Bennett and Adrianne Mayshar (West Boylston, Mass.) each collected eight rebounds, both game highs.

Michelle Otey's 10 points were a high for the Purple Knights. Bryant outrebounded Saint Michael's, 48-30 on the day, while both teams registered five blocks.

Bryant closes out its 2008 regular-season home schedule Saturday, Feb. 16 when the Bulldogs celebrate Senior Day and face off against defending national champ Southern Connecticut State University at 1:30 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center. It will be the first and only regular-season meeting between the two teams.