Bryant falls to Akron, 78-56

WOMEN'S BASKTBALL DROPS THIRD-STRAIGHT IN AKRON, 78-56

AKRON, OHIO – Despite a valiant effort, the unbeaten Zips were too much for the Bulldogs to handle as Bryant drops its-third straight, 78-56.

The Black and Gold were led by junior Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) who finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds and freshman Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) who chipped in a career-high 10 points and 5 boards.

Akron Junior Rachel Tecca finished with a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes of play.

Three quick buckets by the Zips put them up 6-0 just over two minutes into the contest. The run by the hosts continued through the first media break, extending their lead to 14-0. Junior Hanna Luburgh recorded seven of Akron's first 14 points.

The Bulldogs eventually settled down with a pair of layups from Ankoma-Mensa, however hot shooting by the Zips boosted their advantage to 22-7 through the eleven-minute mark.  

Bryant's shooting woes continued through the first frame while Akron continued to dominate the offensive boards, extending their lead to 30-13, 13 minutes into the first half.

After the first 20 minutes of play, Akron led Bryant, 41-20, after shooting 41 percent from the field in the opening period. The Bulldogs shot only 7-for-30 in the half while committing 13 turnovers. Akron's Rachel Tecca dominated the opening frame, putting up 19 points and 6 rebounds in only 11 minutes of play. Senior Danielle Douglas (Silver Springs, Md.) and Ankoma-Mensa led Bryant with six and five points, respectively.

The second half brought foul trouble for the Bulldogs, sending Douglas to the bench with her third personal early in the period. The Zips kept pushing the tempo, again extending their advantage to 50-24.

The Bulldogs struggled to find the bottom of the net halfway through the second frame, falling behind 59-27 with 11:49 to play.

Despite being down, Bryant never quit, fighting to the very last horn. On a positive note, the Black and Gold saw contributions from their freshmen. Not only did Leahy record a career-high in points, but Dani Anderson (Wellington, Kan.), Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Emma Sobieraski (Lockport, N.Y.) all registered their first collegiate points. The trio combined for 13 points in the final five minutes of play.

Bryant now falls to 0-3 on the year, but will have an opportunity to pick up its first win of the season when it heads to Youngstown St. for a showdown with the Penguins Sunday afternoon (12:05 p.m.).

For links to streaming video and live stats of Sunday's action and all the latest on Bryant University women's basketball, visit BryantBulldogs.com.