Colonials come out on top, 72-68

Bryant falls, 72-68, in final road match in 2011-12

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Bryant University women's basketball team trailed by just two points with less than eight minutes to play in the second half, but Robert Morris used a late surge to hand the Bulldogs a 72-68 defeat on Monday evening at the Charles L. Sewall Center.

Trailing at one point by eight, the Bulldogs (13-14, 6-10 Northeast Conference) quickly cut it to a one-possession game with 7:30 to play, but the Colonials (16-11, 10-6 NEC) countered that surge with a 9-3 scoring run and withheld a late charge in the final minute to win for the fourth straight game.

After junior guard Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to 61-58 with 4:06 to play, the Colonials reeled off five straight points and capitalized when Whittington was whistled for an intentional foul after a Bryant turnover to take an eight-point lead with just more than two minutes to play.

But after RMU missed three straight chances to extend its lead to double digits, Whittington connected from downtown again with 54 ticks left on the clock to set the stage up for a frantic final minute of play.

The Colonials – benefiting from the fact that Bryant was forced to foul – were sent to the line on back-to-back possessions and maintained that eight-point lead (70-62) with 27 seconds to go. But senior Brittany Stahura (Amsterdam, N.Y.) drew a foul with 14 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to six.

On the ensuing possession, Briannica Tye turned the ball over to Danielle Douglas (Silver Spring, Md.), and both players were called for offsetting technical fouls with 14 seconds to go. Whittington would shoot the free throws as a result of Douglas' fifth foul, and the NEC's leading shooter from the charity stripe connected on both chances to make it a four-point game (70-66) with 14 seconds left and the Bulldogs retaining possession.

But a last-chance three-pointer would not fall for the Bulldogs, and the home side nailed two final free throws to seal the Bulldogs' fate.

Whittington led the Bulldogs in scoring with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting from long range, while sophomores Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) and Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) finished with 13 points apiece. Ankoma-Mensa earned her team-leading eighth double-double of the year by means of her team-high 13 rebounds and also added one block.

The Colonials saw a strong performance from the conference's leading rebounder in Artemous Spanou. A First Team All-NEC selection in 2010-11, Spanou finished with a game-high 24 points and 15 rebounds while accumulating two steals and a swat.

Josette Campbell went 4-for-8 from long range en route to an 18-point outing while amassing a game-high four steals. Briannica Tye finished with 13 points – including 10 in the second half – while dishing a game-high eight assists, and April Williams went 4-for-4 from the free throw line while adding 11 points for the home side.

The Colonials out-rebounded the Bulldogs by just three (48-45) and both teams finished with an identical 14 giveaways. Robert Morris held five blocks to Bryant's one, as Anna Gailite finished with an impressive four rejections.

Both teams registered shooting percentages in the 30s, as Bryant finished 23-for-65 (.354) from the field but just 5-of-18 (.278) from outside. The Colonials also struggled from long range after logging an 8-for-30 (.267) clip from beyond the arc; the home team finished 22-of-65 (.338) from the field. RMU capitalized at the free throw line, going 20-of-24 (.833) on the evening from the stripe. Bryant, meanwhile, went 17-of-26 (.654) from the line.

In the first half, Bryant saw three different players find the basket in the opening minutes, as the visitors took an early three-point lead (10-7) with 13:58 left in the frame. But the Colonials reeled off nine straight points to take a 16-12 lead at the midway point of the half.

After falling behind by eight, the Bulldogs rallied to a three-point lead by means of an 11-0 run that lasted over a stretch of 3:28. Schissler tied the contest at 29-29 after hauling down an offensive board, spinning and firing up a layup that fell in, all while drawing contact. She hit the and-one to knot the game with 4:04 to go in the half. A minute later, Whittington connected for her first basket of the game to put the visitors ahead, 32-29.

Both teams exploded for 21 points combined over the final four minutes of the stanza, with RMU's offense all coming by means of the long ball in that span. Campbell added nine points and three treys in that span, while Whittington paced the Bulldogs with all five of her first-half points during that stretch. Campbell's final shot of the half came with seconds remaining to hand the home side a three-point, 41-38 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs conclude the 2012 campaign next weekend with two final Northeast Conference tilts at the Chace Athletic Center. First up, Bryant looks to avenge an earlier defeat when it battles Mount St. Mary's on Saturday (Feb. 25) before finishing off the season on Monday (Feb. 27) night against Wagner.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University women's basketball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.