BENNETT DELIVERS IN OVERTIME THRILLER, BULLDOGS OUST MOUNT ST. MARY’S, 79-76, SATURDAY AFTERNOON

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Down nearly all of the second half, the Bryant University women's basketball team stormed back to force overtime as Siamone Bennett's (Newburgh, N.Y.) career-high 24 points carried the Bulldogs past Mount St. Mary's, 79-76, in Northeast Conference play Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.

Down by one point with 2:39 left in regulation, Bennett gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the second half on a lay-in down low but the Mountaineers forced overtime at the free throw line.

Once in overtime, Danielle Douglas (Silver Spring, Md.) put Bryant (7-13, 4-5 NEC) on top with a midrange jumper and Bennett followed with a conventional 3-point play on the next possession for the five-point lead at the 1:48 mark. The Mount (4-16, 1-8 NEC) answered with two quick baskets but the Black and Gold hit the necessary free throws down the stretch for their second consecutive victory.

Bennett added ten rebounds to her career-high 24 points for her second double-double in as many games while Douglas and Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) chipped in with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Brittany Stahura (Amsterdam, N.Y.) recorded 11 points and nine rebounds while Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) added 11 points to round out the double-digit scorers.

Mount St. Mary's was led offensively by Mary Dunn's 20 points while Ashley Christie, Kelly Guerriero and Tara Londergan also reached double-figures.         

The game opened with the teams trading baskets down low as Bennett led the Bryant attack with a quick six points to give the Bulldogs the early 8-4 advantage. After the first four minutes, both squads turned to the outside game as Soper drilled a shot from the beyond the arc to pad the Bulldog lead. The Mountaineers answered right back with the long distance shot as well, going to Guerriero for a trio of 3-pointers to put the visitors on top by six, 23-17, at the 10:48 mark.

Bryant answered the Mount's long range efforts with a return to the paint as Bennett was able to earn several trips to the charity stripe and Douglas found easy driving lanes to the basket until a Soper free throw put Bryant up, 26-25, with 7:40 remaining in the half.

Despite a 6-0 run by the Bulldogs during the final five minutes of the half, the Mount finished with a 7-2 stretch for a 37-36 lead at intermission. Bennett paced the Black and Gold with 13 points in the opening 20 minutes while Guerriero also added 13 for the visitors.

Mount St. Mary's maintained a slim lead during the early stages of the second half, as both teams traded scores in the paint, until a pair of free throws by Sandra Anderson capped a 6-0 run for the visitors for the 47-40 lead at the 16:03 mark.

The Bulldogs fought back over the course of the next eight minutes as Whittington hit a trey from the corner to trim the Mount's lead down to two, 60-58. Christie responded with a 3-pointer for the visitors but Douglas came right back with a fade-away jumper in the paint to keep the Bulldogs within three with just over seven minutes to play.

Down by one with just over two minutes to play, Bennett gained position down low and spun around her defender for the lay-in and the 69-68 Bulldog advantage. Whittington added to the lead with a free throw on the next possession but Christie tied up the game with two clutch free throws at the 39 second mark as the teams ended regulation tied, 70-70, and headed into overtime.

In overtime, the Bulldogs took a five point lead after Douglas nailed a jumper at the buzzer and Bennett followed with a 3-point play on the next possession for the 77-72 advantage with 1:48 remaining. The Mount managed to score four quick points but the Bulldogs prevailed on free throws for the 79-79 overtime victory.

The Black and Gold go for their third-straight win on Monday, Jan. 31 when they host Wagner at 7:00 p.m.