Bryant falls to Army, 67-51

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLOSES 2012 WITH TOUGH LOSS AT ARMY

WEST POINT, N.Y. – They say basketball is a game of runs, and Sunday's action in West Point, N.Y., proved exactly that as the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to Army, 67-51.

With 14:51 left in the game, the Bulldogs (4-6) scored to earn their first lead of the contest since the opening minutes, however the Black Knights (10-3) went on a 14-0 run that spanned nearly five minutes to secure their tenth win of the season.

With the loss, the Bulldogs close 2012 with a 4-6 mark, dropping their last two  decisions heading into Northeast Conference play in January.

Junior Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) led the Black and Gold with 17 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. Classmate Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) added 12 points and eight boards, while senior Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) posted nine points.

Army's Kelsey Minato posted a game-high 24 points on 8-10 shooting from the field, while Olivia Schertzman chipped in with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

The Black Knights dominted the boards from start-to-finish, snatching 45 rebounds, compared to Bryant's 35. Army was all over the offensive glass, posting 23 second chance points.

Neither team wasted much time getting things started as both squads opened Sunday's action strong. Led by eight early points from Minato, the Black Knights held an early advantage, 11-9, five minutes into the contest.

Army continued its hot shooting through the first frame as Minato and Simmers combined for 19 of the Black Knight's first 21 points.

The Bulldogs struggled to put points on the board as the home team remained hot from behind the 3-point stripe, opening up at 27-11 advantage with just under six minutes to play.

However, the Black and Gold fought back, led by hard-nosed played from Bailey. The Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run spanning 4:51 to bring the visitors within just three (27-24) with two minutes to play in the first half. Army responded with a 5-0 run of its own to close the half, but Bailey took it the length of the floor for a bucket with time expiring to bring the score to 32-26 in favor of the home team heading into the locker room.

Minato led all scorers at the half with 17 points on 4-6 shooting from behind the arc. Bailey led Bryant with 9 points (all coming in the final six minutes of the first half), while Ankoma-Mensa added six points and five boards. The glaring differential in the opening frame was the rebounding margin, as Army out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 29-17, registering 14 second-chance points.

The Bulldogs opened the final frame with a few quality possessions to cut the Army lead to, 35-32, with just under 16 minutes remaining in the contest.

After the Black and Gold earned their first lead, 36-35, since the opening minutes off a Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) bucket, Army responded with a 14-0 run to regain the advantage, 49-36, with just under nine minutes remaining in the contest.

Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, but the second half push by the Black Knights was too much for the Bulldogs to overcome.

The Bulldogs will head into the New Year with a trip to Pennsylvania when they head to Saint Francis U. on Jan. 5, before venturing to Robert Morris on Jan. 7.

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