February 26, 2006

WOMEN FINISH OFF REGULAR SEASON WITH 62-58 ROAD WIN OVER MERRIMACK TUESDAY NIGHT

Boxscore

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. - Backed by the seventh double-double of the year from sophomore Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.), the Bryant University women's basketball team wrapped up its regular-season schedule with a 62-58 win over Merrimack College Tuesday night at the Volpe Center.

O'Keefe started the Bulldogs (17-10, 12-10 Northeast-10) off with eight-straight points for an 8-2 lead out of the gates. Bryant held Merrimack (9-19, 5-17) scoreless through the first three minutes of action and bucket-less through five, when Casey Miller hit a layup to move her team to 8-4.

The Bulldogs doubled the Warriors up with 12:04 to play when junior Stephanie Fontaine (Franklin, Mass.) made a tough drive through the key to the basket, making the score 14-7.

But with neither team shooting particularly well, Bryant's 35.5 percent leading Merrimack's 33.3 percent on the first frame, the Warriors capitalized on poor Bryant shooting and rebounding to draw the score to just a two-point Bulldog advantage, 18-16 with six showing till halftime.

The teams traded baskets through the end of the frame, with Bryant taking a 27-23 edge into the locker room at the break.

But it was all Warriors when the second half opened up. Ashley Brownlee hit back-to-back buckets and Gately Golden gave Merrimack its first lead of the game less than two minutes in, 30-29.

The Warriors wouldn't stop at a one-point lead, driving their advantage to 38-31 with 16:41 on the clock to force an early timeout from the Bryant bench. But the Bulldogs responded, and with two back-to-back fast break buckets from senior Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) and junior Cara Johnson (Endicott, NY) they drew the score to 40-37, forcing the Warriors to take a timeout of their own.

Merrimack went back up to a six-point lead at the eight-minute mark, 47-41 and would extend that lead to 51-43 before going on a 6:47 scoreless streak that saw Bryant pull even with 3:46 left to play, 51-51, on two successful Kokoski free throws.

The Warriors, who made free throws on either side of the scoreless streak, wouldn't see a basket for 10:25, until Shannon hit with 1:48 left to tie the score again at 56-56.

As the clock ticked into the last minute of regulation with the tally still tied, the Bulldogs got a huge block from rookie Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, NY) before a foul under the basket off the turnover sent Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) to the line for a 60-58 Bryant lead. The Bulldogs would ride the slim lead through the final seconds, adding two more free throws for a final 62-58 tally.

O'Keefe registered a team-high 21 points and 10 boards in her double-double effort, while Kokoski chipped in 17 points of her own. Amanda Shannon led the Warriors and the game with 23 points.

But free throws were the name of Tuesday's game, with the teams combining for 52 chances from the line. Bryant went 19-of-32 on the day, including 15-of-24 in the second frame, while Merrimack went 14-for-20 and 12-of-17 in the second half. The two teams split the rebounds at 49 apiece.

The Bulldogs' will host Saint Michael's in a Northeast-10 Conference Tournament first round game Sunday at 2 pm. The winner of that game will go to Assumption Tuesday.