Women's Basketball Picks Up Big 80-76 Win over Assumption Wednesday Night Behind Skiba's 22
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Bryant University Defeats Assumption 80-76
Skiba Reaches 1,000 Point Milestone in Win
Smithfield, RI - The Bryant Women's Basketball team defeated Assumption College 80-76, improving their home record to 4-0 Wednesday night at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I.
|
| MILESTONE - Joanna Skiba scored her 1,000th career point in Wednesday's win over Assumption College at the Chace Athletic Center. |
With her basket with 18:22 remaining in the first half, Bulldog captain Joanna Skiba (Providence, R.I.) became the 16th player to score 1,000 points in a Bulldog uniform. Skiba was awarded a game ball from Head Coach Mary Burke and was cheered loudly by the Bulldog faithful following her milestone lay-in. She came away with a steal and broke down the court, scoring a fast-break lay-up, while drawing a foul on the play.
The senior co-captain scored 16 first-half points and finished with a game-high 22 while playing the entire game. She finished one point short of her career high.
Trailing 67-66 with five minute to play in the same, junior point guard Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) drove to the net, sinking a tough basket, drawing the foul, and converting the three-point play to give the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish. Kokoski finished with five points, all late in the game, while playing the final 12 minutes.
With 1:26 to play and Bryant leading 77-75, freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) nailed a jumper from just inside the arc to give Bryant the three-point lead. After scoring only two points in the first half, the freshman forward finished strong, scoring 15 second-half points, while grabbing eight rebounds.
After Assumption forced a turnover off a jump ball, trailing by three with just 13 seconds to play, Beth Plasski, who led the Greyhounds with 22 points, including four three-pointers, attempted to tie the game with her fifth trey, but she missed badly thanks to excellent defense from Kokoski.
O'Keefe then sank a free throw to give the Bulldogs the four-point lead and the 80-76 victory.
Senior Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, CT.) had 12 points in the game, ten of them in the second half. Erin Murphy (Albany, N.Y.) added eight points and eight rebounds.
The Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1 NE-10) continue their conference action Saturday when they look for their first road win at UMass-Lowell at 2 p.m.