Bulldogs maul Bears, 64-49

Bulldogs maul Bears, 64-49

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Off to its best start since becoming a Division I program, the Bryant University women's basketball team picked up its second straight victory - and third overall - by means of a drubbing of nearby rival Brown University, 64-49, on Tuesday evening at the Chace Athletic Center.

Three players recorded double-digit points, and two barely missed double-double performances, as the Bulldogs (3-1) continued their stellar start to the 2011-12 season while also picking up their first win in four tries over the Bears (1-3).

After building as large as an 11-point lead in the first half and taking a nine-point lead into halftime, Bryant rounded out the game by outscoring the Bears by six in the second half, securing the 15-point victory heading into Thanksgiving break.

Sophomore Steph Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) matched classmate Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) with 13 points on the night, as the former registered a new career high in scoring.  Ankoma-Mensa, meanwhile, was just one rebound shy of hitting what would have been the team's first double-double of the year, as the Ontario native finished the night with nine boards, as well as three steals and one block in 35 minutes of action.  Junior Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) matched Brown's Hannah Passafuime with a game-high 15 points on a 5-for-10 clip from the field.

Senior Brittany Stahura (Amsterdam, N.Y.) was within reach of a double-double performance as well, hauling down a team-high 12 boards but missing the mark by two points, finishing the night with eight points and team highs in both assists (4) and steals (4).

Junior Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) posted 10 boards, trailing just Stahura's 12 rebounds on the night for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs received another stellar effort off the bench, as non-starters totaled 36 of the team's 64 points - good for 56.3 percent of the squad's total scoring.  

The sharp-shooting Bulldogs eclipsed the 40-percent mark from the field for the second straight game, nailing a season-high 25 shots in 62 attempts, and also set a new season high in made three-pointers, going 8-for-22 from downtown.

After both teams exchanged basket for basket in the opening 10 minutes of regulation, the Bulldogs pulled away with just under five minutes to go in the first half, as Cardamone's second basket of the game put the home team up, 27-16, with 4:52 to go in the frame.

Bryant would head to the lock room leading 32-23 after the first 20 minutes of action.  Ankoma-Mensa paced all scorers with nine points, while Cardamone and sophomore Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) finished the half with eight apiece.

In the second half, both teams exchanged chances up and down the court, as the game proceeded with a quick pace that was likely the cause of just 19 total fouls committed by both squads combined in the entire game.  Neither team reached the bonus in the first half, with Brown getting whistled for just four fouls over Bryant's two.

After the Bears clawed to within 10 points at 47-37 with 10:32 to go - the closest the game had been since the second minute of the half - the Black and Gold began to pull away for good by means of a 14-1 run over the span of nearly eight minutes.

A jumper by Stahura made it 49-37 before Cardamone knocked in back-to-back free throws to put Bryant up by 14 points.  After Sophie Beutel converted on just one-of-two free throws, the Bulldogs ignited the crowd with back-to-back treys from Cardamone and Whittington to go up by 19 points.  Another layup by Stahura and a jumper by Whittington put the Bulldogs up by 23 points - their largest lead of the season - as Bryant went ahead, 61-38, with 2:38 remaining.

With the game well out of reach, Brown scrambled to make the outcome more respectable, but despite an 11-3 run to close out the contest, the closest the Bears would come was within 13 points.

The Bulldogs will face a tough test following the holiday, traveling to ACC foe Boston College for a Sunday afternoon showdown against the Eagles.  Opening tip at Conte Forum is set for 2 p.m.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University women's basketball, check back at www.bryantbulldogs.com, and be sure to follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.