BRYANT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Barry University Holiday Tournament
Bryant vs. Barry Dec. 29th 6 p.m.; vs. Nova Southeastern Dec. 30th 4 p.m.
Download Complete Game Notes / Season Stats
BULLDOG UPDATE
The Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday
December 17, defeating Bridgeport 78-57, in a non-conference game,
at the Chace Center in Smithfield, R.I.
Bryant's bench was the story, scoring 44 points to the Purple Knights' 15. Only one of the Bulldogs' starters played more than 17 minutes, that being senior co-captain Erin Murphy (Albany, N.Y.) who finished one rebound short of a double-double (18 points, nine rebounds).
Sophomore guard Cara Johnson (Endicott, N.Y.) posted career highs in points (13), rebounds (eight) and assists (four) in 21 minutes off the bench.
Bryant led only by eight at the half, 39-31, but pulled away midway through the second half. Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) converted a three-on-one fast break with an easy lay-up off a great pass from Johnson. Then the next time down the court, Johnson drained a three to give the Bulldogs the 71-49 lead, forcing the Purple Knights to call for time.
Kokoski tallied 12 points on four-of-six shooting in 26 minutes off the bench.
Against #18 Stonehill on December 13, senior Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, Conn.) scored 20 points, including 14 of Bryant's 19 second-half points. She added five rebounds and shot 10-for-18 from the field. Rubenoff was the only Bulldog in double figures.
Senior co-captain Joanna Skiba (Providence, R.I.) struggled from the field, shooting 1-for-13, while finishing with six points and eight assists. Skiba leads the NE-10 averaging 6.7 assists per game and leads the Bulldogs in scoring (13.8) and minutes played (30.2).
Freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) continues to lead the team in rebounding with six per game. O'Keefe pulled down a team-high six rebounds, all defensive, in the Stonehill game, and added five against Bridgeport.
NEXT UP FOR BRYANT:
The Bulldogs return to Northeast-10 action on January
3rd at Merrimack. The next home game is Jan. 6 vs. Saint
Rose (1:30 p.m.).
Wed. - Jan. 3 - at Merrimack, 5:30 p.m.
Sat. - Jan. 6 - Saint Rose, 1:30 p.m.
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Mary Burke begins her 16th season as the head coach of the Bryant women's basketball team. Coach Burke has been a mainstay in Rhode Island Basketball throughout her playing and coaching years. Under the tutelage of Burke, the Bulldogs have made it to the NCAA Tournament five times including 2003-04 and 2004-05. Three years ago, Bryant made the Regional Final against Northeast-10 foe Merrimack and finished the season 22-9. Burke's rapid climb up the coaching ladder began in 1987 when she joined former Bryant head coach Ralph Tomasso's staff as an assistant with the Bulldogs. She was promoted to head coach August 1, 1991, becoming only the fourth women's head coach in Bryant history. She has a 211-218 record in her 16-year head coaching career. The highlight of Burke's tenure at Bryant thus far came in the 2003-04 season, when Bryant finished the year ranked in the top-25 in the USA Today Division II coaches' poll and advanced to the NCAA Regional Final.
STELLAR BENCH PLAY
A staple of this Bryant team has been its overall team depth. In a 75-57 win over Bridgeport, five Bulldogs played over 14 minutes off the bench. Junior guard Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatsfield, Mass.) played 26 minutes, scoring 12 and dishing out four assists. Kokoski is fifth on the team in minutes played and scoring and boasts a team-best 59% field-goal percentage. Sophomore Cara Johnson (Endicott, N.Y.) posted career highs in points, rebounds and assists against the Purple Knights and is right behind Kokoski in scoring (five points per game) and minutes played (sixth on team). Her 52% field-goal percentage also ranks second on the team. Bryant is 4-1 this season when its bench outscores its opponents.
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In Bryant's last two road games, senior forward Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, CT) has been dominating in the second half. She scored 22 points, including 14 of Bryant's 19 second-half points, while grabbing five rebounds and shooting 10-for-18 from the field against Stonehill Wednesday. Then, at Bentley on Dec. 5, "Rub" was the only Bulldog in double figures, scoring 18 of her team's 33 second-half points. The senior finished with a career-high 23 points and added six rebounds in a 62-60 loss to the Falcons. She currently ranks second on the team in points (14.4) and second in rebounds (5.8).
SKIBA REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS
Bryant senior guard Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI) became the 16th women's basketball player in school history to record her 1,000th point as the Bulldogs picked up a big NE-10 win over Assumption, 80-76 on November 30 at the Chace Center. Skiba scored on a drive to the basket just over a minute into the game, scoring and drawing a foul in the process. She entered the game needing just one point to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Skiba would finish with a game-high 22 points in 40 minutes of action against the Greyhounds. Skiba ranks 14th on the all-time Bryant scoring list with 1,074 career points.
FANTASTIC FRESHMEN
Head Coach Mary Burke is relying on numerous freshmen this season to have a major impact. Four freshmen have already cracked the starting lineup, including Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.), Kristin Mraz (Johnstown, N.Y.), Adrianne Mayshar (West Boylston, Mass.) and Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.). O'Keefe, who has started all but one game this season, averages ten points along with a team-best 6.0 rebounds, including 15 in 31 minutes against Southern N.H. on 12/09/06. Mraz has started six games, averaging nearly five points in 17 minutes. Schermerhorn started Bryant's first four games, while Mayshar, Bryant's tallest player at 6-2, posted eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks off the bench in 29 minutes of action at Bentley Tuesday. She made her first start against Southern N.H playing 20 minutes, scoring five points. Against Bridgeport, Burke called on freshman center Jamie Campbell (Springfield, Mass.) who responded with four points and four boards in 14 minutes.
Top Bryant Performers 2006-07
Points: 23-Lauren Rubenoff at Bentley (12/05); Joanna Skiba vs. Southern N.H. (12/09)
Rebounds: 15 - Lauren Rubenoff at Franklin Pierce (11/26); Kelsey O'Keefe vs. Southern N.H. (12/09)
Assists: 12 - Joanna Skiba vs. Saint Anselm (11/21)
Steals: 5 - Joanna Skiba vs. Assumption (11/29)
Blocks: 2 - Kristin Mraz at Franklin Pierce (11/26); Adrianne Mayshar at Bentley (12/05)
