Bulldogs make it two in a row

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOPS COLUMBIA, 68-54, TO EARN SECOND-STRAIGHT WIN

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Paced by yet another double-double effort from junior Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.), the Bryant University women's basketball team defeated Columbia, 68-54, in the first leg of a doubleheader at the Chace Athletic Center on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (2-4) closed the game on a 23-9 run to secure their second victory of the 2012-13 campaign, while the Lions fall to 1-5 overall with the loss.

Ankoma-Mensa put up her third double-double of the season, recording 17 points and 17 rebounds in the winning effort. Senior Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) chipped in with a season-high 17 points, while junior Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) posted 16 points and seven boards.

Caitlyn Unsworth led the Lions with 16 points, while Taylor Ward and Courtney Bradford added 9 and 7 points, respectively.

The Bulldogs held their opponents to under 30 percent shooting from the field for the second-straight game, dominating the boards 47-26.

Both teams opened action with aggressive defensive play, making baskets difficult to come by early on. Ankoma-Mensa picked up right where she left off Wednesday, recording four points and three rebounds in the opening minutes to keep the game knotted at 6-6 through the 16-minute mark.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-6 lead, but a pair of trifectas from the Lions put the visitors up 12-10 with 10 minutes to play in the half. Ankoma-Mensa put home her sixth point of the contest at the 9:27 mark to even the score at 12-12.

Sparked by two baskets from Stephanie Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) off the Bryant bench, the Black and Gold were able to get out to a 20-12 advantage with just four minutes remaining in the opening frame. However, the Lions responded with an 8-2 run of their own, paced by a pair of 3-pointers from Caitlyn Unsworth to bring the visitors within just a basket with two minutes to play in the half.

Columbia notched a basket in the final minute of the period to knot the score at 22-22 heading into the locker room. Ankoma-Mensa led the Bulldogs at the half with six points and eight rebounds, while Unsworth sank a trio of trifectas in the opening half to give her a game-high nine points.

The aggressive play from the first half carried over to the second as both teams traded baskets out of the gate. Ankoma-Mensa added a pair of layups to her game-high 12 points, while Whittington buried a 3-pointer at the 15:01 mark to extend the Bulldog lead to 34-28.

The teams continued to trade baskets in a fast-paced, back-and-forth game. The Bulldogs weathered a push by Columbia at the 10-minute mark paced by Whittington and Schissler to regain the advantage, 51-45 at the 7:35 mark.

The Bulldogs continued to extend their lead into the final minutes of the half, pushing the advantage out to 64-50 with just over a minute remaining in the contest.

Bryant will take its two-game win streak to Iona when the Bulldogs faceoff with the Gaels Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

For all the latest news on Bryant University women's basketball, visit BryantBulldogs.com.