February 16, 2008

WOMEN TAKE DOWN DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT, 77-72, ON SENIOR DAY

Kelsey O'Keefe notched her sixth double-double of the season in Saturday's win.

SMITHFIELD, RI - The lone Bryant senior on the court Saturday afternoon, captain Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) walked off the floor with two seconds showing on the clock in what was possibly, but not likely, her final game within the friendly confines of her home court, the Chace Athletic Center. She walked off - to the applause and appreciation of her team and her fans on Senior Day - just one assist short of her third double-double of the season.

But her numbers weren't the ones that mattered to the senior. The only numbers that counted were the fiery red digits on the scoreboard: Bryant 77, Southern Connecticut 72.

Backed by the sixth double-double of the year from sophomore Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.), the Bryant University women's basketball team topped the defending national champs, Southern Connecticut State University, 77-72.

But it was Southern Connecticut (14-10, 10-9 Northeast-10) that got off to the fast start, taking an early 7-0 lead in the first 2:15, thanks in part to three quick Bulldog turnovers.

Bryant (16-9, 11-9) narrowed the score to 9-5 three minutes later, but the Owls would double-up the home team, 14-7, with 12:13 to play in the frame. The Bulldogs, who turned the ball over 16 times in the first half, committed half of them in the first seven minutes.

But as the period progressed, the Bulldogs started to calm down on offense, taking smarter and cleaner shots.

At the 5:45 mark, Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, NY) drove home a bucket from the post to close Southern Connecticut's advantage to 22-17, followed by two successful free throws from sophomore Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) to make it 22-19.

With 1:46 showing on the clock, Kokoski sprung freshman Kelli Reynolds (Milford, Conn.) for a fastbreak basket off the inbound pass to draw within a score, 25-23.

The Bulldogs would continue to hold their opponent scoreless for the last 4:25 of the frame, and tied the tally at 25-25 off a Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) layup before taking their first lead of the contest with 15 seconds till halftime on a Kokoski drive through the key.

Bryant's 27-25 lead at the break was the result of 47.4 percent team shooting from the floor. The Owls outshot the Bulldogs, taking 40 attempts to Bryant's 19, but made good on just nine of them for 22.5 percent shooting on the frame.

Bryant kept the momentum on its side to open the second period, ripping out an 8-0 run for a 10-point advantage before the Owls could score a point, 35-25. But Southern Connecticut responded, going on a 7-0 run of its own to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 35-32.

The teams kept it close through the nine-minute mark, when they knotted back up at 55-55.

The Bulldogs pulled ahead again, 61-57, after O'Keefe drained back-to-back 3-pointers, only to have Owls' forward Rochelle Johnson tied it up once more at 63-63 two minutes later.

And while the game was close through the first 15 minutes, Bryant broke away in the final five. Kokoski started the drive with two from the stripe before O'Keefe and Schermerhorn each hit threes to move the score to 73-68 in the Bulldogs' favor. One more O'Keefe layup and two freebees later, Bryant had its Senior Day win, 77-72.

O'Keefe's 26 points led the game, and she added a team-high 12 boards in the double-double effort. Bennett and Kokoski were each mere points from double-doubles of their own, Bennett finishing with eight points and 12 rebounds and Kokoski collecting 10 points, nine assists and seven boards on the day.

Senior Kate Lynch led the Owls with her third straight double-double (20 points, 15 rebounds), while Johnson added 10 points and 10 boards as well.

Southern Connecticut took more shots than the Bulldogs, to the tune of 83-52, but Bryant made its shots count, hitting at a 52 percent clip for the game. The owls shot just 27.7 percent on the day. Bryant outrebounded Southern Connecticut, 49-45, but turned the ball over almost twice as much, 25-13.

The win gives the Bulldogs an impressive 11-4 record at home in the 2007-08 regular season.

Bryant will next hit the road and travel to Easton, Mass. to faceoff against No. 15 Stonehill College, Tues. Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. before rounding out its regular season with a 5:30 bout against Merrimack College, Tues., Feb.26.