January 31, 2008

BRYANT MEN AND WOMEN BOTH DEBUT AT NO. 6 IN FIRST NCAA DII NORTHEAST REGIONAL RANKINGS

SMITHFIELD, RI - Entering the final month of regular-season action, the Bryant University men's and women's basketball teams both debuted at No. 6 in the year's first NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Rankings, released by the NCAA Wednesday afternoon.

The top eight teams in each of the eight regions make the cut for the national tournament, with the top seed serving as host, if they so elect. A single-elimination tournament occurs in each bracket with the winning teams converging on the Elite Eight, held this year in Kearney, Neb.

Tied for sixth in the Northeast-10 Conference, the Bryant men make their 12-8 record good for the sixth slot in the initial 2008 regional poll. Led by Jon Ezeokoli's 14.4 points per game and Jerrann Wright's 7.3 rebounds per contest, Bryant stands in second-place in scoring defense and rebounding defense for the conference. At +4.6, the Bulldogs top the NE-10 in rebounding margin and are third in rebounding offense.

SOPH. KELSEY O'KEEFE

Sitting at a well-positioned No. 4 on the conference ladder, the Bulldog women (14-6) are led by Kelsey O'Keefe's 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Bryant is strong on the glass, topping the league in rebounding offense, rebounding margin and offensive rebounds.

O'Keefe is fourth overall in scoring and ninth in rebounding, while senior Lynne-Ann Kokoski's 6.1 assists per contest are good for No. 2. Rookie Siamone Bennett has 16 blocked shots on the year.

Both squads are the winners of three-straight and have tough road matches on the horizon. Bryant will travel to Waltham, Mass. Saturday afternoon, where Ezeokoli and his Bulldogs will take on the nationally top-ranked Bentley College men (19-0) and the women will face off against their Falcon counterparts, who at 13-6 sit at No. 3 in the conference and No. 5 in the Northeast Regional Poll.

Five other Northeast-10 teams join the Bulldogs in the men's current Northeast Region Top-10, including: Bentley (No. 1), Assumption (No. 2), Saint Rose (No. 4), Stonehill (No. 5) and Merrimack (No. 7). Eight Northeast-10 teams make up the top-10 in the women's region, including: Stonehill (No. 2), Franklin Pierce (No. 3), Assumption (No. 4), Bentley (No. 5), Southern Conn. (No. 8), AIC (No. 9) and Saint Michael's (No. 10).

Polls will be released each Wednesday through the end of the regular season. Check back to http://www.bryantbulldogs.com/ for more updates.