BRYANT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
January 9, 2007
Today's Game
The Bryant University Bulldogs take on the
Assumption Greyhounds in a Northeast-10 matchup. Bryant defeated
Assumption 80-76 earlier this season at the Chace Center behind 22
points from Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI). Today's
game can be heard live online at www.bryantbulldogs.com, with
Pat Sullivan calling all of the action.
Game Notes
After posting a career-high 26 points Wednesday at Merrimack,
freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) continued
her dominance in the paint scoring 23 in just 20 minutes. She added
12 rebounds for her second career double-double. O'Keefe scored ten
points in the game's first four minutes, but sat out the remaining
16 minutes due to foul trouble. O'Keefe averaged 24.5 points in two
games last week while being named the Northeast-10 Co-Player of the
Week and Freshman of the Week.
With Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, CT) also in foul trouble, Head Coach Mary Burke turned to freshman Jamie Campbell (Springfield, Mass.) who finished with career highs in points (eight), rebounds (ten), and minutes played (15).
A 13-4 run midway through the second half, capped off by a runner by Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) gave Bryant a lead they would not surrender.. Kokoski played the entire second half and 34 minutes overall, scoring eight points and tallying her career high in assists with seven.
The key play in the game came from Erin Murphy (Albany, NY) who drained two consecutive shots in the key, drawing fouls on both shots and converting each into a three-point play. Murphy's second three-point play, with 3:52 to go, gave Bryant the 74-68 lead and forced Saint Rose's star guard Mary Lewis out of the game, after she committed her fifth foul.
Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI) tallied a double-double, scoring 13 while dishing out 11 assists.
With Saturday's win against Saint Rose, Bryant already has matched last season's wins total of nine.
The Greyhounds of Assumption
Guard Beth Plasski was the catalyst with 17 points, 4 steals, 3
assists leading the Greyhounds past LeMoyne, 62-50. They controlled
the boards 35-27 and caused 23 turnovers. The Hounds outscored the
visitors 32-6 in the paint and 22-3 off-the-bench. Megan Urban
tallied 14 points, while senior guard Jess Paulson added 13 points,
7 assists, 4 steals. Charde Floyd led all rebounders with 12.
COMING UP...
The Bulldogs return home for two big conference games
against Pace and Stonehill before visiting Southern N.H. Saturday's
game will be webcast by CSTV.
Thur. - Jan. 11 - Pace, 5:30 p.m.
Sat. - Jan. 13 - #14 Stonehill, 1:30
p.m.
Wed. - Jan. 17 - at Southern New Hampshire 5:30 p.m.
O'KEEFE NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) capped off
a great week by being selected as the NE-10 Co-Player of the Week
and Freshman of the Week from Jan. 1-7. O'Keefe averaged 24.5
points last week in victories at Merrimack and Saint Rose. She
tallied a career-high 26 points in just 26 minutes, shooting 9-12
from the field and 8-10 from the line, while grabbing nine rebounds
at Merrimack. Against Saint Rose, she scored 23 points in just 20
minutes, while adding 12 boards for her second career
double-double. O'Keefe scored ten points in the game's first four
minutes, but sat out the remaining 16 minutes due to foul trouble.
She is third on the Bulldogs, averaging 11.2 points while grabbing
a team-best 6.2 rebounds.
BRYANT 3-0 WITH LYNNE-ANN MANNING THE POINT
Following a dissapointing 65-50 loss at Barry Univ., Head Coach
Mary Burke revamped the starting five. Only Erin Murphy
(Albany, NY) remained from her traditional lineup. The
change worked as Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield,
Mass.) made her first start, scoring 11 points in 34
minutes while tallying a career-high seven assists leading the
Bulldogs to a 65-50 victory over Nova SE. The Bulldogs returned to
their normal lineup the following week, but Kokoski remained in the
starting five, manning the point. The Bulldogs are 3-0 when the
junior starts. In 34 minutes against Saint Rose, she tallied eight
points while matching her career high with seven assists.
RUBENOFF A FORCE ON THE ROAD
In Bryant's last three conference road games, senior forward
Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, CT) has been a
force. Against Merrimack, she posted a double-double (19 points,
ten rebounds) in 27 minutes. 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, "Ru" 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 averages a
team-leading 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in six road games.
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 win over
Assumption, 80-76 on Nov. 30. Skiba scored on a drive to the basket
just over a minute into the game, scoring and drawing a foul in the
process. Skiba would finish with a game-high 22 points in 40
minutes of action against the Greyhounds. Skiba ranks 11th on the
all-time Bryant scoring list with 1,131 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 two games this
season, avergaes 11.2 points per game and a team-best 6.2 boards.
She was named NE-10 Freshman of the Week from Jan. 1-7. Mraz has
started eight games, averaging four points. Schermerhorn started
Bryant's first four games, while Mayshar, Bryant's tallest player
at 6-2, snagged nine boards at Merrimack and posted eight points,
seven rebounds and two blocks off the bench in 29 minutes of action
at Bentley. Against #24 Saint Rose, Burke called on freshman center
Jamie Campbell (Springfield, Mass.) who responded
with career highs in points (eight) and rebounds (ten) in 15
minutes.
