BULLDOGS HEAD TO VESTAL, N.Y. TO TAKE ON BINGHAMTON SUNDAY AT 2 P.M.

November 21, 2008

BULLDOG WOMEN TAKE ON AMERICA EAST'S BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY ON THE ROAD SUNDAY AT 2 P.M.

Live Stats / Live Video

THE GAME                                                           
The Bryant women's basketball team travels Vestal, N.Y. to take on Binghamton University of the America East Conference. The Bulldogs are 1-0 against America East teams so far this season, earning the program's first-ever Division I win against the University of New Hampshire, 69-66, on Friday, Nov. 14 in Durham, N.H.

THE TEAM                                                           
The Bulldogs return four starters from last year's squad that went 20-12 and earned berths into the Northeast-10 Tournament Championship Game and the NCAA Division II Tournament. Bryant loses just one letterwinner from the 2007-08 team.

LAST TIME OUT                                                   
In its first-ever regular-season contest against a Northeast Conference opponent, the Bryant University women's basketball team, led by sophomore Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.), fell to Fairleigh Dickinson University, 59-51, Monday night at the Rothman Center. 
                               
Early turnovers plagued the Bulldogs (1-1) against the Knights (1-0), as Bryant committed six turnovers in the first eight minutes and went on to give up 16 turnovers in the first half. But tough defense kept Bryant at an 8-8 tie with 12 minutes left to play in the opening frame.

Fairleigh Dickinson put pressure on the Bryant shooters throughout the half, forcing the Bulldogs into frequent shot clock troubles without allowing a three through the 7:25 mark when junior Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to make the score 15-13 in Bryant's favor.

Key buckets from sophomore Amanda Pierlioni (Plainfield, Conn.) kept Bryant in it, knotting the game at 17-17 and again at 19-19, but the Bulldogs' turnover troubles returned in the final five minutes of the frame, giving the ball up in three-straight possessions for a trio of FDU baskets. The Bulldogs would end the half with 16 total turnovers.

Poor shooting on the part of the Knights - the home team shot just 25 percent through the opening 12:28 - and strong play on the glass kept the tally close until the Knights opened the game up to finish the half, scoring 11 points in the final four minutes to send the Bulldogs into the locker room down, 32-36.

FDU managed to keep two-year leading scorer Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) to just two shots and no points while limiting senior co-captain Cara Johnson (Endicott, N.Y.) to just four points. Pierlioni led the Bulldogs at the half with six points while the Bulldogs outrebounded the Knights, 29-15.

The second half opened quickly for in the Knights, as FDU went on a 9-0 run to hold Bryant scoreless for the first 4:46 and go up, 41-26. The first two minutes also brought foul trouble to O'Keefe, who earned her third foul with 18:01 left, with Bennett and Pierlioni not far behind.

The Bulldogs kept FDU without a point for 6:14 near the middle of the half, and a trey from frosh Lekia Cowen (Hopedale, Mass.) cut the Bryant deficit to 43-33 with 10:40 to play. Cowen tried the three again 30 seconds later, this time getting fouled on the way down. The rookie knocked down all three free throws only to see Pierlioni get fouled a minute later to cut the Knights' lead to 43-38 with two more freebies with 9:22 on the clock. But the Bulldogs would follow it with a seven-minute scoreless drought of their own, as the home side regained a 50-38 advantage. Bryant cut FDU's lead to single digits with a Johnson jumper with 1:04 remaining, 52-43, but it wouldn't be enough as the Knights took a final 59-51 tally.

The Bulldogs were led on the night by eight points from Johnson, while Bennett owned the glass with 12 boards and chipped in six points. Bryant registered seven blocks - three of them coming from Bennett - while O'Keefe totaled seven boards and nine points. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Knights, 60-49. FDU's Christy Altamirano paced the game with 20 points, collecting nine boards in the process.

UP NEXT                                                               
The Bulldogs travel to New Britain, Conn. to faceoff against Northeast Conference opponent Central Connecticut State University, Tues., Nov. 23 at 4:00 p.m.

SCOUTING BINGHAMTON                                   
The Bearcats (1-1 entering Friday) lost five players from last year's team that finished fifth in the America East Conference and lost in the first round AE Tournament play. Four of those players were from Binghamton's front court, but first-year head coach Nicole Scholl stocked up this year with a class of six newcomers, including three forwards, a center and two guards. Senior Laura Franceski returns as the Bearcats' top post player and as the conference's top returning shot-blocker (9.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 2007-08). Binghamton was picked to finish sixth in the America East this season and is 1-1 on the year entering Friday, led by 10.5 points per game from Muffy Sadler.

BRYANT JOINS THE DIVISION I NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
In October of 2007, Bryant University officially accepted an invitation to join the Division I Northeast Conference. The school began a four-year transition in the fall of 2008-09 and become a full member of the Northeast Conference in the fall of 2012-13. Bryant will not be eligible for conference or NCAA postseason play during the four-year transition period. Other members of the Northeast Conference include: Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, Lond Island University, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY), St. Francis (PA) and Wagner.

EVEN STEVEN                                
With just a pair of games under its belt so far, the Bulldogs are 1-1 on the young season, getting a win over UNH in the season-opener before falling to Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 17.

HOME SWEET HOME                     
The Chace Athletic Center has been kind to the Bulldog women in the past, but it will have less chances to be lucky this season in Division I. The women host just nine home contests, the first coming on Monday, December 1, 2008 against Saint Francis (NY) at 7:00 p.m.

CROSSING ENEMY LINES               
Bryant vs. Division I conferences:
 America East: 1-0
 Atlantic 10: 0-0
 Independent: 0-0
 Ivy League: 0-0
 MEAC: 0-0
 Northeast Conference: 0-1
 Patriot League: 0-0

NO TIME TO WAIT                         
On November 14, the 2008-09 women's basketball team joined the women's soccer team and women's volleyball team as the only Bulldog programs to get their-ever first Division I win in their first DI contest with a 69-66 win over UNH.

MAPPING IT OUT                           
Despite its home in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant boasts no homegrown talent on its 2007-08 roster. Instead, the Bulldogs hail from five different states, with six players coming to Douglas Pike from Massachusetts and eight from the tri-state area. The Bay Staters make up much of the junior class (Schermerhorn, O'Keefe, Campbell, Mayshar) and add senior Fontaine and frosh Cowen, while five (Bennett, Mraz, Johnson, Dessingue, Stahura) call New York home. The remainder of the Bryant roster come from Connecticut (Pierlioni, Reynolds), New Jersey (Hudspeth) and Maine (Wood).

BULLDOGS ON THE AIR                 
Fans can catch all of the action this year by tuning into www.bryantbulldogs.com. Bulldog fans can also watch all Bryant home games online, courtesy of Penn Atlantic. Also this year, track each game live online for free with LIVE STATS by visiting www.bryantbulldogs.com and clicking the Live Stats link.