BULLDOGS OPEN 2011 WITH TRIP TO WEST POINT, TAKE ON ARMY MONDAY AT 4 P.M.

January 2, 2011

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team kicks off 2011 with a trip down to West Point, N.Y. on Jan. 3 for a game against the United States Military Academy at 4:00 p.m. The Bulldogs (3-8) closed out 2010 with a 90-31 loss at Syracuse on Dec. 30 and will look to wrap up non-conference action with a win at Army in the second meeting ever between the two programs.   

Game Notes

THE SERIES
Monday's game at Army will be just the second meeting all-time between the two programs. In the first and only game between the Bulldogs and the Black Knights during the 1984-85 season, Bryant edged out the Black Knights, 58-57, in the Southern Connecticut State Tournament when both programs were members of Division II.  

BRYANT LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa scored six points and sophomore Meredith Soper 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 game marked the first meeting ever between Bryant and Syracuse as well as the first time Bryant has faced a member of the Big East Conference.  

BRYANT vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Bulldogs are currently 6-6 against members of the Patriot League since joining the Division I ranks in 2008. Two of those wins came this past December in back-to-back home games against Colgate and Holy Cross while the Bulldogs also fell to Lafayette in overtime in the second game of the season. The Black and Gold have enjoyed much of their Patriot League success over Colgate with a perfect 4-0 record against the Raiders. The first and only meeting between Bryant and Army was during the 1984-85 season when both programs were Division II and before the formation of the Patriot League.   

SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Army is 4-8 on the season with all four wins coming at home in games against Medaille, St. Francis (NY), Penn and Loyola. The Black Knights, members of the Patriot League, are averaging 54.2 points per game and allowing 56.4 ppg. Senior Erin Anthony leads the team with 14.0 points per game while the next closest teammate is senior Laura Baranek at 9.1 ppg. Anthony is also the team's top rebounder with 12.1 boards per contest.

AT YOUR SERVICE
Bryant has enjoyed tremendous success against United States Service Academies at both the Division I and II levels with a perfect 4-0 combined all-time record over Air Force, Army and the Coast Guard. Three of those wins, one each over Air Force, Army and the Coast Guard, came at the Division II level while the Bulldogs also downed the Falcons, 79-74, on Dec. 3, 2010 in the opening game of the Air Force Tournament for the team's first win of the season. 

PICKPOCKETS
In 11 games this season, the Bulldogs lead the NEC with 114 steals, averaging 10.36 steals per game, with the next closest team being Robert Morris at 8.45 steals per game. Leading the way is sophomore Danielle Douglas, who ranks first in the NEC with a remarkable 2.55 thefts per game, including a pair of five-steal games against Dartmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.

JUST KEEP IT CLOSE… OR EVEN
The Bulldogs seem to enjoy heading into intermission with the score tied this season as the team is 2-0 when the game is knotted up at halftime. Remarkably, the Black and Gold score nearly just as well in the first half as they do in the second half, scoring a collective 322 points in the opening stanza compared to 327 in the closing frame.

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold return to Northeast Conference action on Jan. 5 when they visit Monmouth at 7:00 p.m.