Bulldogs drop tough-one to Crusaders, 68-66

SCHISSLER DROPS 25 IN 68-66 LOSS TO HOLY CROSS FRIDAY IN SMITHFIELD

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite holding a one-point advantage with 47 second remaining in the contest, the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to Holy Cross, 68-66, Friday morning in Smithfield.

The Bulldogs, who now drop to 4-5 on the season, suffered their only loss in the month of December, while the Crusaders snap a two-game skid to improve to 5-5.

With 2:22 left on the clock, both teams remained gridlocked at, 58-58. In true dramatic fashion, each squad traded baskets down-the-stretch. First, Danielle Douglas (Silver Springs, Md.) slid past the defense for a quick two, granting the home team a slim 60-58 lead, but Holy Cross responded quickly in the form of an Amy Lepley basket, tying the score once again.

Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) knocked down a pair of free throws, only to be answered by another Lepley score, knotting the game at 62-62 with 1:37 to play. The Bulldogs took the lead again off a Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) bucket at the 1:19 mark, however the Crusaders answered right back with a trifecta from Alex Smith.

Despite losing the lead for a brief moment, Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) put Bryant back on top, 66-65, with under a minute to play. Less than 30 seconds later, Lepley scored again, putting the visitors up, 67-66, with 20 seconds to play.

Despite possession of the ball in the final seconds, and multiple looks at a game-winner, the Bulldogs came up just short of notching their fifth-straight win.

Schissler led all scorers with a career-high 25 points on 9-22 shooting from the field. Ankoma-Mensa racked up her fifth double-double of the season, posting 10 points and 10 boards, while Douglas put up 15 points and a season-high seven assists.

Smith led Holy Cross with 17 points, six boards and four assists, while Lepley added 16 points and four rebounds in her first action of the 2012-13 season.

A layup for Ankoma-Mensa granted the Bulldogs an eight-point advantage (Bryant's largest of the game) with just over 12 minutes to play in the second half, however a huge 3-pointer from Smith sparked a 7-0 Holy Cross run that brought the Crusaders within a single point.

From that point forward, neither team led by more than four, battling down to the final buzzer.

The Bulldogs got to the foul line 29 times in the game (compared to 19 for HC), however they were only able to convert 15 of those opportunities. The Crusaders shot 49 percent from the field, including nearly 60 percent in the second half, compared to Bryant's 37 percent shooting on the day.

The Black and Gold will have nine days until they head to West Point, N.Y., for a showdown with Army on Dec. 30, their final non-conference action before opening Northeast Conference play on Jan. 5 at Saint Francis U.

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