WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES ON LAFAYETTE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT 1 PM

Nov. 13, 2010

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES ON LAFAYETTE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT 1 PM

Game Notes

EASTON, Pa. – The Bryant University women's basketball team will look to bounce back in a road game against Lafayette on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs enter the game with a 0-1 record after they dropped their season-opener at Penn, 70-59, Friday night at The Palestra. The contest marks the season-opener for the Leopards who finished seventh in the Patriot League last season.

THE SERIES

Although new to the Division I ranks, the Bulldogs will face off against the Leopards for the third time in as many years with each program claiming a home win. In last year's meeting in Smithfield, R.I., then-junior Siamone Bennett scored 10 points to lead Bryant past Lafayette, 56-47, on Nov. 21, 2009 for the team's first win of the season.   

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS

The Leopards welcome back a total of nine letterwinners, including all five 2009-10 starters, to this year's team after finishing seventh in the Patriot League in 2009-10 with an overall record of 6-23. Leading the way will be a trio of seniors in guards LaKeisha Wright and Lauren Jackson and forward Elizabeth Virgin. The duo of Wright and Jackson will look to regain their position as a formidable backcourt after they averaged 11.2 and 10.5 points per game last season, respectively. Jackson also chipped in with the scoring, averaging nearly eight points per game, and should be a presence underneath the basket (4.8 rpg).

THE COACHES

Head Coach Mary Burke is back for her 20th season as head coach of the Bryant women's basketball team. Burke has a career record of 270-269 and has enjoyed two 20-win seasons over her coaching days. Last year, she led the Bulldogs to a program-high 13 Division I victories. Prior to the team's switch to DI, Burke led the team to the NCAA tournament seven times. Burke was promoted to head coach on August 1st, 1991.

Dianne Nolan enters her first season as the head coach of the Lafayette women's basketball team. She joins the Leopards after a three-year period as an assistant at Yale and 33 years as a head coach at Fairfield and St. Francis (NY), giving her a career record of 517-416.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs dropped their first game of the season Friday night when they fell at Penn, 70-59, at The Palestra. Sophomore Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) led the way for Bryant with 15 points, including four three-pointers (4 of 9). Senior Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) had a near double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds before she fouled out midway through the second half. The only other senior on the squad, Lindsey Hudspeth (Mount laurel, N.J.), was big off the bench with 11 points in a team-leading 31 minutes. Freshman Naana-Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ontrio) was also impressive off the bench in her collegiate debut, collecting seven rebounds and netting four points in 15 minutes of game action   

TRAINING DAY

The Bulldogs' season opener at Penn was the first collegiate game for the nine rookies on the team while seven saw game action. Freshman Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn) started at the point and dished out three assists in 20 minutes of game time. Fellow rookie Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ontario) grabbed seven rebounds in her Bulldog debut.

QUICK SHOTS FROM THE SEASON OPENER AT PENN

• Meredith Soper went 4 of 9 from three-point land to finish with a team-high 15 points
• Freshman Jenniqua Bailey started at the point and played 20 minutes in her collegiate debut 
• Lindsey Hudspeth came off the bench to score 11 points in a team-high 31 minutes
• Out of the nine rookies on the team, seven saw game action
• The Bulldogs shot 26 percent from the field, but 31 percent on three-point attempts
• Bryant took advantage of Penn miscues, scoring 28 points off T/O
• The Bryant bench outscored the Penn bench by a margin of 26-15