BULLDOGS' EARLY SECOND HALF COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH; DROP SEASON OPENER AT PENN, 70-59, FRIDAY NIGHT

Nov. 12, 2010

BULLDOGS' EARLY SECOND HALF COMEBACK NOT ENOUGH; DROP SEASON OPENER AT PENN, 70-59, FRIDAY NIGHT

PHILADELPHIA – Despite falling behind early, the Bryant University women's basketball team fought back to pull to within six points in the second half but it would not be enough as the Bulldogs fell at Penn, 70-59, in their 2010-11 season opener Friday night at The Palestra.   

The Quakers were led by Alyssa Baron's 20 points while the Bulldogs enjoyed a 15-point performance from sophomore Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.), including four three-pointers. Senior Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) added 11 points and eight rebounds with two blocked shots.  

After Soper knocked down an early three-pointer to mark the first Bryant points of the season, Penn answered with seven straight tallies, highlighted by a pair of jump shots by Alyssa Baron and Jess Knapp.

The Bulldogs began to chip away at the Penn lead when senior Lindsey Hudspeth (Mount laurel, N.J.) drilled a three-point shot and freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ontario) followed with a quick layup, but the Quakers went on to score 11 unanswered points for a  27-15 lead with four minutes left in the half.

With less a minute to play in the stanza, a pair of freshman cut down the Quaker lead when Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) wrestled the ball away from a Penn player and went coast-to-coast for the eventual three-point play after she was fouled on the layup. Ten seconds later, Nekole Jackson (Columbus, N.J.) drilled a three-pointer to bring the Bulldogs to within eight points.

The Quakers ended the half with a couple of quick baskets to enter intermission on top, 37-25. Baron led all scorers at halftime with 17 first half points while Soper and senior Bennett each had six to pace the Bulldogs.   

The Bulldogs started the second half with an offensive mindset when Hudspeth hit a shot from beyond the arc and sophomore Danielle Douglas (Silver Springs, Md.) picked off a pass in Penn territory and turned around to lay in the easy shot.

A jumper by Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) trimmed the lead to six with 14 minutes left to play but that would be as close as the Bulldogs would come to catching the home team as the Quakers pulled away down the stretch for a 70-59win.     

The Black and Gold return to action on Sunday, Nov. 14 when they travel to take on Lafayette at 1 p.m.