Posted: Dec 19, 2009

BULLDOGS HOST LEHIGH IN NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUP ON SUNDAY AT 2PM, GAME TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON BRYANTBULLDOGS.TV

December 19, 2009

BULLDOGS HOST LEHIGH IN NON-CONFERENCE MATCHUP ON SUNDAY AT 2PM, GAME TO BE BROADCAST LIVE ON BRYANTBULLDOGS.TV

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - After a full week off, the Bryant University women's basketball team returns to action today at 2 p.m. when they host Lehigh University at the Chace Athletic Center. The contest will mark the fourth Patriot League opponent of the season for the Bulldogs. Bryant comes into the game with a 3-6 record overall and a 1-1 conference mark while the Mountain Hawks are currently 7-2 but have yet to play their first conference matchup. This will be the first time the Bulldogs have ever hosted the Mountain Hawks. They met for the first time in program history last season and dropped a 68-55 decision at Lehigh.

BULLDOGS DROP FIRST-EVER MEETING WITH LONG ISLAND, 73-54
Despite leading at the half and junior Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) recording her second double-double of the season, the Bryant University women's basketball team dropped its first-ever meeting with Northeast Conference foe Long Island by a score of 73-54.

Bennett recorded a season-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. The forward fell just three blocks short of a triple-double with seven. Her career-high seven blocks in a game tie her for second all-time.

The Blackbirds (7-4, 2-0 NEC) were led by sophomores Ashley Palmer and Kiara Evans. Palmer recorded 19 points while Evans netted 17. Chelsi Johnson fell one point short of a double-double with nine points and 10 boards.

After being down 12-3 just seven minutes into the contest, Bennett brought her team back to give the Bulldogs a 24-23 lead at the half. The forward had the hot hand for Bryant as she recorded 14 of her team's 24 first-half points. Bennett also registered four rebounds and three blocks in the first 20 minutes.

The Bulldogs (3-6, 1-1 NEC) were smothered offensively in the second half by the Blackbird full-court press. LIU forced 20 second-half turnovers to go with their 14 second-half steals.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS
The Mountain Hawaks are currently on a three-game winning streak, defeating their opponents by an average of 16.3 ppg in those contests. The wins have come against Villanova, Duquesne and most recently, NJIT. Lehigh is averaging 68.9 points per game on the season and currently has three players averaging in double figures. Junior Erica Prosser leads the way for the Hawks averaging 16.4 ppg. Prosser is alos an outside threat converting 38.6 percent (22-57) from beyond the arc.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Through their first nine games, Bryant is leading the Northeast Conference in rebounding margin averaging 5.7 boards more than their opponent. The Bulldogs also sit in second place in rebounding offense averaging 43.3 per contest. Bryant has also hit 57 three-pointers through the first nine games, good enough for fourth place in the NEC. Junior Siamone Bennett is currently ranked first in the conference in offensive rebounds, accumulating 41 through the the first nine games. Bennett also sits in second in the NEC with her 13 blocks. She is coming off a seven-block performance at Long Island a week ago. Bennett is currently sixth in the conference in overall rebounding, averaging 7.7 per contest.

O'KEEFE MOVES INTO 3RD PLACE ALL-TIME
With a layup just 1:26 into the Bulldogs 82-74 victory at Colgate on Tuesday, Dec. 1 senior captain Kelsey O'Keefe passed Stephanie Ladd for thrid place all-time on the Bryant scoring list. O'Keefe now has 1,447 career points. In that game, the senior also recorded the 25th double-double of her career.

LET'S GET TROPICAL
After the holidays, the Bryant University women's basketball team will be traveling to Miami, Fla. to participate in the 20th annual Florida International Fun & Sun Classic. Bryant will play in the tournament's opening game on Monday, Dec. 28 against host institution FIU at 5 p.m. The winner of that game will move on to play the winner of Georgia Tech and Hampton University on Tuesday afternoon.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING
Junior Siamone Bennett is coming off her second double-double of the season at Long Island a week ago. Bennett scored 22 points and pulled down 10 boards against the Blackbirds. Earlier in the season Bennett registered her first double-double when she scored 10 points and gather 13 boards against Patriot League affiliate Holy Cross in mid-November. Senior captain Kelsey O'Keefe has also registered one double-double this season in a game at???Colgate on December 1st. O'Keefe scored 21 points and pulled in 14 rebounds for the Dogs.

VS. PATRIOT LEAGUE
Tooday's game will be the fourth Patriot League opponent for the Bulldogs of the 2009-10 season. Bryant is currently 2-1 against the Patriot League and will look to improve on that mark today. The Bulldogs defeated Lafayette and Colgate but lost to Holy Cross. Siamone Bennett is averaging 13.3 ppg and 9.3 rpg against the league while sophomore Lekia Cowen is adding 10.7 ppg.

BULLDOGS ON THE AIR
Fans can catch all of the action this year by logging onto www.bryantbulldogs.tv to watch all Bryant home games live online, courtesy of Pack Network. Also this year, track each game live online for free with LIVE STATS by visiting www.bryantbulldogs.com and clicking the Live Stats link.