Bulldogs cruise to 100-52 win over UMass Lowell Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Led by a huge double double from forward Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.), the Bryant University women's basketball team topped UMass Lowell, 100-52, Friday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

For the second-straight game, the Bulldogs (4-6) saw five double-figure scorers, eclipsing the 100-point mark for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

Senior forward Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) led all scorers with 20 points and six boards in just 24 minutes of play, while Soper put up a monster game with 15 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore forward Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) poured in a career-high tying 13 points to go along with five boards, while senior guard Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) put up 11 points and seven dimes.

Senior guard Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) added 11 points and six boards, while classmate Stephanie Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) chipped in nine points, five boards and a trio of helpers off the bench.

Lindsey Doucette led the River Hawks with 13 points and five rebounds, while Shannon Samuels put up 12 points in just 20 minutes of play.

Aside from eclipsing the 100-point plateau for the first time in almost 13 years, the Bulldogs posted a season-high 28 assists and 54 rebounds.

Less than seven minutes into Friday's contest, Bryant opened up a 16-9 advantage thanks to four early points from Ankoma-Mensa. The tough-nosed Bulldog defense hindered any type of offensive consistency from the River Hawks as the edge ballooned to 17 points, 28-11, with just over nine minutes to play in the first half.

Shooting nearly 60 percent through the first 14 minutes of the opening frame, the Bulldogs' lead continued to grow, reaching 30 points, 47-17, with just over three minutes to play until halftime.

A strong finish to the half from Rucker put Bryant up, 54-23, heading into locker room. Schissler, Rucker and Soper combined for 32 of Bryant's 54 first half points, while Doucette led UMass Lowell with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting.

The second half brought more of the same as Bryant dominated on both ends of the court to cruise to a 100-52 victory, its second in-a-row.

The Black and Gold will break for 10 days over the holiday before returning to action on Dec. 30 at Columbia for their final non-conference contest of the 2013-14 season.

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