BULLDOGS HANG TOUGH BUT CAN'T HOLD ON, FALL TO ST. BONAVENTURE, 67-58, FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Friday, January 02, 2009

BULLDOGS HANG TOUGH BUT CAN'T HOLD ON, FALL TO ST. BONAVENTURE, 67-58, FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Boxscore

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team, led by the third double-double of the season from junior co-captain Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.), hung tough but couldn't hold up against the stiff offense of St. Bonaventure University, falling, 67-58, at the Chace Athletic Center Friday afternoon in its first bout of the new year.

The Bonnies (10-4) never trailed in the game, taking their first double-digit lead at the 11:20 mark of the first frame, 19-9, on a Megan Van Tatenhove layup. A Dana Mitchell layup with 7:23 to play moved the visitors' lead to 12 points, 23-11, before the Bulldogs (4-8) turned it on to go on a 13-5 run and narrow the deficit to just four points with 4:50 showing before the break.

The streak was capped off by an O'Keefe trey - one of five she had on the day from downtown - to close the St. Bonaventure edge to 28-24, but the Bulldogs would score just one more point for the remainder of the half as St. Bonaventure extended its lead to 13 points, the largest lead of the half, and enter the break up, 38-25.

The Bonnies didn't cool off much after the break, but a layup by Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) cut the St. Bonaventure advantage to nine points with 18:22 to go. A Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) bucket would do the same with 16:51 left, but those were the only gaps in the Bonnies' double-digit lead until the 4:49 mark of the second frame when O'Keefe cut the deficit to just six points on the back of clutch back-to-back three-pointers fed from Kristin Mraz (Johnstown, N.Y.).

And while the Bulldogs played tough to narrow the gap even more, they would not be able to keep the Bonnies from the basket, allowing the visitors to outscore them 9-6 in the final four minutes, completing the 67-58 SBU victory.

Bryant would shoot 50 percent from the floor in the second half, outscoring the Bonnies, 33-29, but it wouldn't be enough to stay perfect at home.

O'Keefe recorded 12 second-half points, scoring a game-high 18 points on the day and adding a game-best 11 boards for her third double-double of the season and the only one of the game. Bennett recorded a trio of blocks to compliment a seven-point, five-board effort, while Schermerhorn added seven points and three steals of her own.

St. Bonaventure, who was led by 11 points from Armelia Horton and Katelyn Murray and had five players in double figures, won the rebound game, 38-30, while Bryant recorded five blocks on the day with nine three-pointers.

Bryant stays at home for one more contest at the Chace Athletic Center and will welcome Colgate University to Smithfield, R.I. on Monday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. for a rematch of Dec. 28's Fordham Holiday Tournament first round.