BULLDOGS UNABLE TO PULL OFF UPSET AGAINST BIG EAST FOE, FALL TO SYRACUSE, 90-31, THURSDAY AT CARRIER DOME

Dec. 30, 2010

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ontario) scored six points and sophomore Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) added six rebounds but the Bryant University women's basketball team could not pull off the upset win over their Big East opponent in their final game of 2010 as they fell to Syracuse, 90-31, Thursday afternoon at the Carrier Dome.   

The Orange opened each half with impressive runs which allowed the home squad to establish a sizable lead despite Bryant's ability to settle in once the game was underway and show signs of penetration through the defense for quality looks. Syracuse was led by Kayla Alexander, who went 9-for-11 from the floor for a game-high 23 points while teammates Elashier Hall and Carmen Tyson-Thomas each added a double-double performance.      

As a team, the Bulldogs were successful at both drawing fouls down low and hitting free shots as the squad shot 71 percent from the line.  

The Orange jumped out of the gate for an early lead, stringing together a 16-0 run in the first six minutes of game action. Alexander was the driving force during the opening stretch as she was able to gain position down low and turn around for quick baskets, scoring four field goals in the first five minutes.

On the other end, the Bulldogs found their fair share of open looks from 3-point range but could not get one to fall until freshman Stephanie Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) dropped a deep trey for Bryant's first points of the contest.

While the Orange continued to use Alexander underneath the basket, the Bulldogs opened up the court for different scoring opportunities, first going to Ankoma-Mensa down low and then to Danielle Douglas (Silver Spring, Md.) for a mid-range jumper.

For the remainder of the first half, the Bulldogs found success through crisp passing which opened up the lane for either a tough layup or a trip to the free throw line, a tribute to the team's rising level of toughness down low. The Orange, however, shifted away from Alexander and instead went to Hall for driving layups which backboned an 11-0 run in the closing minutes of the stanza. Soper broke up the run with a pair of free throws as the half ended with Syracuse on top, 48-19.

Bryant was most notable at the free throw line as the visitors went 8-for-10 at the charity stripe in the first half. Individually, Ankoma-Mensa led the Black and Gold with six points while Douglas pulled down three boards.  

Much like the start of the game, Syracuse opened the second half in strong offensive fashion as a multiple drawn fouls and subsequent free throws helped pave the way for an 18-0 run. Senior Lindsey Hudspeth (Mount Laurel, N.J.) ended the scoring drought at the 13:15 mark when she fooled the Orange defense with a hop step in the lane and ended the impressive play with a successful layup.   

 Freshman Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) provided a spark for the Bulldogs in the final stretch of the contest, hitting pair of pull-up jumpers through traffic, while Soper and Brittany Stahura (Amsterdam, N.Y.) each muscled their way around a pair of Orange defenders for respective baskets. Nevertheless, it was not enough to hold back the offensive production of Syracuse as the home team went on for the victory.     

The Black and Gold return to action on Jan. 3 when they close out non-conference play with a trip to West Point, N.Y. to face Army at 5:00 p.m.