BULLDOGS FALL SHORT AT MOUNT ST. MARY'S, 56-51, ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON
February 20, 2010
BULLDOGS FALL SHORT AT MOUNT ST. MARY'S, 56-51, ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON
EMMITSBURG, MD - Junior
Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) recorded her
third double-double of the season as she poured in 17 points and
pulled down 12 rebounds, but the Bryant University women's
basketball team fell short on Saturday afternoon, losing 56-51 at
Mount St. Mary's.
Bryant (12-15, 9-7 NEC), ranked third in 3-point shooting percentage, shot a dismal 12.5 percent from long range in Saturday's game. The Bulldogs were 2-16 from beyond the arc. In a sloppy shooting game, they were outshot 32.5 percent to 30.9 percent in the game. Mount St. Mary's (10-16, 6-10 NEC) made 78 percent of their free throws as they went 25-32 from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs held the Mountaineers to only four second-half field goals. BU also outscored the Mountaineers 34-8 in points in the pain but lost the bench points battle 27-8. The Mount held senior tri-captain Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) to just six total points.
Bennett was 6-16 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line as she recorded her third double-double of the season. 11 of Bennett's 12 rebounds came on the offensive end. The only other Bulldog in double figures was freshman Danielle Douglas (Silver Springs, Md.). Douglas scored 10 points, eight of which came in the first half and went 5-9 from the field in her first trip to the Knott Arena.
Coming into the game the Bulldogs were in sole possession of fifth place in the NEC and the Mountaineers were tied for ninth.
Kicked off by a Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) layup just three seconds into the game, the Bulldogs jumped out to an early 8-1 lead. Douglas recorded four of the eight to start the action in familiar fashion for the Bulldogs. However, the Mount battled back over the next four minutes and was able to tie the game at 13 apiece off a Lauren Howell 3-pointer with less than 12 minutes remaining. Shortly after, the Mountaineers took their first lead of the game when Jamie Halloran added a free throw to go up 14-13.
Mount St. Mary's continued its run as it stretched its lead to 19-13 with 8:46 remaining in the half. The Mount's Sandra Andresson knocked down two free throws to cap its 10-0 run and take a 21-13 lead over the Bulldogs with 7:20 left in the first period.
The Bulldogs were able to bring the game back to within four points at the half as they found themselves down 31-27 at the halfway point. Bryant outscored the Mount, 14-10 over the final seven minutes.
Douglas and Bennett led the way for the Bulldogs in the first half as they each recorded eight points and pulled down three first-half boards. Douglas was 4-5 from the field in the first 20 minutes. Bryant dominated the points in the pain in the first stanza, 18-4, but the Mount held the advantage with a 14-5 margin in bench points. The Bulldogs outshot the Mountaineers 41.4 percent to 39.1 percent in the half.
Bryant went on a 7-0 run to start the second half to take a 34-31 lead over the Mount. The Bulldog defense went 9:20 without allowing a Mount field goal but was unable to build a lead as the Black and Gold were deadlocked at 41 with the Mountaineers with 10:40 remaining in regulation.
A big reason the Bulldogs were unable to build a lead was due in part to the excellent second-half free throw shooting of the Mountaineers. Mount St. Mary's was 11-12 from the charity stripe at the 7:40 mark of the period. The Mount ended up making 16-20 second-half free throw attempts.
Over the next five minutes the Mountaineers were able to build a slight, 52-47 lead with 2:16 remaining. Down five and under two minutes to go the Bulldogs were forced to apply the full-court pressure but Mountaineer guard Hassanah Oliver was able to beat the press and convert an acrobatic layup with 1:30 remaining on the clock.
On the next possession, senior tri-captain Kristin Mraz (Johnstown, N.Y.) was also able to beat the defense and score and uncontested layup with bring the Bulldogs back within five, 54-59.
Bryant forced a turnover on the next Mount possession and Bennett grabbed another offensive rebound on the other end, her 11th of the game, and put the ball back up for an easy layup to bring BU within one possession at 54-51 with under a minute to go. The Bulldogs kept the pressure on as they forced yet another turnover and got the ball back with 43 seconds, down just three points.
Following a Bryant timeout, the Mount St. Mary's defense, which allows just 57 points per game, was able to force a Bryant turnover with 17 seconds left. The Bulldogs were forced to foul the Mount's leading scorer, Mary Dunn. Dunn, a 71.6 percent free throw shooter, missed both attempts and left the chance open for the Bulldogs.
With just eight seconds left Mraz put up good look from beyond the arc but it was a little long. Oliver pulled down the rebound for the Mountaineers and was immediately fouled. She hit both free throws and iced the 56-51 victory.
Bryant will hit the road for its final road game of the 2009-10 season when it travels to Brooklyn, New York to complete the home and home series against the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers. The Bulldogs defeated the Terriers, 55-41, in its first conference matchup of the season. The game will be in the Pop PE Center and is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tip-off.