BULLDOGS LOOK FOR BACK-TO-BACK WINS MONDAY NIGHT, HOST WAGNER COLLEGE AT HOME AT 7 P.M.
February 16, 2009
BULLDOGS LOOK FOR BACK-TO-BACK WINS MONDAY NIGHT, HOST WAGNER COLLEGE AT HOME AT 7 P.M.
Game Notes / Live Video / Live Radio / Live Stats
THE MATCHUP - BRYANT vs. WAGNER
Date: February 16, 2009
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Smithfield, R.I.
Arena: Chace Athletic Center (2,600)
Series: First meeting
BRYANT BULLDOGS
UPDATE
The Bulldogs saw the return of winning coincide with the return
home to the Chace Athletic Center in their last outing this past
Saturday, as Bryant took an 85-76 win over future conference rival
Central Connecticut. The win was the second time the Bulldogs
have beat the Blue Devils this season and came on the back of a
season-high 32 points from junior Kelsey O'Keefe, a season-high 85
team points and the Bulldogs' best shooting performance of the
year. Freshman Brittany Stahura also had an impressive game,
recording career highs in nearly every category in her first career
start. The frosh collected six points, five rebounds and two
assists in 32 minutes of play.
On the year, O'Keefe's 16.3 ppg average paces the Bulldogs, while her 8.2 rpg are also a team high. The big forward shoots a team-best 78.2 percent from the line and went 14-for-16 from the stripe in her last outing. O'Keefe shoots over 36 percent from long range (40-for-110) and 44.3 percent from the floor. Junior Kristin Mraz has handed out a team-best 60 helpers this season while sophomore Siamone Bennett has a squad-high 32 blocks.
THE GAME
Monday's matchup is the first-ever meeting between Bryant and
future Northeast Conference opponent Wagner and is the second of
two home games for the Bulldogs. Bryant will look to win its first
back-to-back contests this season.
SCOUTING WAGNER (7-17)
A 53-51 win over LIU snapped a four-game losing streak for the
Seahawks, who enter today's game with just three conference wins.
Wagner scored 30 second-half points to overcome a 31-23 deficit at
the half, getting a team-high 10 points each from Kelly Clark and
John'a Poole. Ashley Olsen fell just one point and one rebound
short of a double-double while the Seahawks as a team shot 41.5
percent on the day.
On the year, Wagner is led by 13.3 points per game from Andrea Reed, who records a second-best 5.3 boards per outing. Olsen collected the most rebounds on the squad, pulling down 5.5 per contest. Reed is the best shooter on the Seahawks, hitting 44.6 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from downtown. She has also shelled out 125 helpers this season. Clark has 42 blocks to her name so far while Casey Stokes, although her trips have been limited to 23, hits over 91 percent of her opportunities from the foul line.
LAST TIME OUT
In its best shooting performance of the year, the Bryant
University women's basketball team earned its seventh win of the
season and fourth home victory, beating future conference rival
Central Connecticut, 85-76, to snap a four-game losing streak on
the back of a season-high 32 points from junior Kelsey O'Keefe
(Warren, Mass.).
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? BRYANT vs. CCSU
[2/14/09]
O'Keefe's game-best 32 points came on 8-of-12 shooting from the
floor and 14-of-16 shooting from the charity stripe, including
going 9-for-10 in the final 1:30, and fell just one point shy of
tying her career high. The game also marked O'Keefe's 20th contest
of the season scoring in double digits and ninth straight.
The 85 total points were a season-high for the Bulldogs as a team in 2008-09, and freshman Brittany Stahura (Amsterdam, N.Y.) had a career day of her own, earning her first start in a Bulldog uniform and seeing a career-high 32 minutes of action in the win. She also recorded career bests in points (6) and assists (2) and tied her career high in rebounds (5).
Senior co-captain Cara Johnson (Endicott, N.Y.) also chipped in double-digit scoring with 14 points on the day.
The Bulldogs (7-16) shot 52.7 percent on the day - hitting 65.2 percent in the second half alone - in the victory, while holding a hot CCSU (15-9) team to 35.1 percent shooting on the game. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Blue Devils, 43-41, and won both halves, outscoring CCSU in the second frame, 51-44. The victory also marked the second time this season Bryant has topped the Blue Devils, also winning in New Britain, Conn., 64-61, back on Nov. 25.
The Bulldogs started the contest with a personnel change in an attempt to shake its recent trend of shaky starts, opting for a freshmen combo of Stahura and Shannon Wood (Gorham, Maine) in the stating five. It was Stahura's first career start and Wood's first appearance at tipoff since Jan. 7.
The result was arguably the best passing effort of the season for Bryant, particularly in the first five minutes of the contest - a time in which the Bulldogs had been sluggish as of late.
O'Keefe made the first points of the contest off a long jumper at the top of the key after a stellar passing sequence 30 seconds in, and the strong passing continued, giving the home team an 8-3 lead after back-to-back threes from junior Courtney Schermerhorn (Lowell, Mass.) and Wood.
Strong offensive play across the court, including a renewed presence inside from Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.), gave the Bulldogs a 19-10 advantage with 11:24 left in the half, before Central Connecticut went on an 11-2 run that knotted the score at 21-21 with 7:33 remaining.
Consecutive treys from O'Keefe gave Bryant back a 27-23 edge, and the Bulldogs would from there go on a short 7-4 run capped off by a Kristin Mraz (Johnstown, N.Y.) three for a 34-27 advantage.
But the Blue Devils would score the final five points of the half to cut their deficit to just two entering the intermission, 34-32.
Bryant shot 43.8 percent for the frame to CCSU's 32.4 percent success rate, while the Blue Devils took a slight edge on the glass, 23-21. The Bulldogs went 5-for-10 from long range but allowed CCSU 12 trips to the line for nine points. O'Keefe led the game with 15 points in the half.
The Blue Devils knotted the contest at 36-36 just 1:39 into the second half off two successful free throws from P.J. Wade, but the Bulldogs would take back their halftime lead and more less than four minutes in, 43-38, capped off by the first points of the contest from Johnson, a three-pointer from downtown.
The Bryant lead lingered around the same margin and the teams went back and forth until Johnson took the home side up by nine with 12:09 to play, 55-46, on a breakaway pull-up jumper, assisted by Mraz.
O'Keefe got Bryant its largest lead of the game up to that point with 11:16 left to play, hitting a pair from the stripe for a 59-46 advantage, and the Bulldogs continued to build on their lead, turning CCSU turnovers into big points, highlighted by a trey from sophomore Lindsey Hudspeth (Mount Laurel, N.J.).
Johnson's three with just over eight-and-a-half to play kept the Bulldogs' momentum going as they pulled away, making the score 67-49 in the home side's favor.
The Blue Devils kept the Bulldogs scoreless for nearly three minutes, scoring four points of their own in that time, but Hudspeth completed a three-point play after getting fouled on a crafty layup from O'Keefe to get three points back for a 70-53 lead.
Central Connecticut brought it back to within 12 points with just over three minutes to play, and then cut the Bulldog lead to single digits with 1:52 showing on the clock, 74-65. But the visitors wouldn't get any closer as the Bulldogs snapped a four-game losing streak to take an 85-76 victory.
The win moves the Bulldogs to 3-5 against the NEC this season and marks their seventh win of the year. They also move to 4-2 at home.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
The Bulldogs got back on the side of winning and, as importantly,
on the side of strong shooting, hitting a season-best 52.7 percent
from the floor including 65.2 percent in the second half.
HOT HANDS FOR HUDSPETH
Sophomore sharpshooter Lindsey Hudspeth has shown a hot hand over
the last seven games, averaging 8.3 points per game after coming up
with only 2.9 in the previous 16 outings. She has matched or
recorded new career highs in points (18), rebounds (7), assists (2)
and minutes (29) since the end of January and has upped her
accuracy to 41.9 percent over the last seven contests. She is also
11-for-25 from downtown.
FEELING HOT HOT HOT
Despite closing January with a 2-6 record, the Bulldogs can thank
juniors Kristin Mraz and Kelsey O'Keefe for keeping the games close
over the 30-day period. Mraz, a junior guard, caught fire in the
month's early games, averaging a second-best 9.8 points per game
before the Dartmouth loss after getting just 5.7 points per outing
before the new year. Mraz shot 43.2 percent from the floor
(16-of-37), hitting a team-best 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from long
distance, 90.9 percent from the line (10-of-11) and averaging 29.2
minutes a game through the month's first five bouts. She has dished
out a team-high 24 assists with eight steals and collected 23
rebounds in January.
O'Keefe recorded five double-doubles in January 2009, averaging 18.3 points per game over the month. The junior forward and co-captain shot a team-best 54.4 percent (56-for-103) from the floor, including 45.5 percent from downtown (15-of-33). She pulled down 9.6 per game off the glass with a squad-high nine steals, and recorded back-to-back 26-point outings.
YOU'RE THE TOP
On top of getting onto Bryant's top-10 all-time scorers
list, O'Keefe is in the top five of three other career statistical
categories. The junior forward is second all-time in made field
goals (467), fourth all-time in rebounds (633) and fifth all-time
in 3-point field goals made (109). Sophomore Siamone Bennett also
made a career top-5 list after just under two years of play, her 60
blocks coming in at No. 5 all-time.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Junior co-captain Kelsey O'Keefe and sophomore forward Siamone
Bennett were named to the Fordham Holiday Tournament all-tournament
team for their performances over the two-day classic Dec. 28 and
29. O'Keefe, who led the team in points both games, averaged 15.5
points per contest, while Bennett averaged 13.5 points per outing.
BURKE EARNS 250TH CAREER VICTORY
With a first-round win over Colgate University at the
Fordham Holiday Classic on Dec. 28, 18-year head coach Mary Burke
earned her 250th career victory. In her 18th season as head coach
of the Bryant University women's basketball program, Burke has a
career record of 253-250 and has enjoyed two 20-win seasons over
her coaching days. She entered 2008-09 with a 246-234 career
record. The Bulldogs' have earned six wins so far this season to
get Burke to the landmark victory.
BABY GRAND
With a layup 43 seconds into Dec. 1's 53-50 win over St.
Francis (NY), junior Kelsey O'Keefe became the 19th player in
Bryant women's basketball history to pass the 1000-point plateau.
The 6-1 forward enters tonight's game with 1,294 points after being
the team's top points scorer in each of the past two seasons.
O'Keefe is the first player to achieve such a feat since Joanna
Skiba ('07) reached the 1000-point plateau against Assumption
College on November 30, 2006, and she is one of the fastest to
reach the landmark. She also moves up to No. 8 on the Bryant
all-time scorers list.
BURKE NAMED TO INTERSCHOLASTIC LEAGUE HALL OF
FAME
Rhode Island hoops pioneer and Bryant head coach Mary Burke has
been named among the 12 headed for the RI Interscholastic
League Hall of Fame.
A Rhode Island native, Burke was a great multi-sport athlete in the early days of the league's girls sports programs and is one of the best athletic success stories of any of the league's female graduates. She will be inducted on May 6 at the league's annual Hall of Fame induction dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick.
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.
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 eight home contests and are 4-2 in
the safe confines of the Chace Athletic Center. The Bulldogs hosted
St. Francis (NY) on Dec. 1, getting their first Division
I home win, and returned home in January 2009 where they fell
to St. Bonaventure in the first game of back-to-back home contests
to open the new year. But Bryant got back to winning with a 63-53
topping of Colgate at home.
The Bulldogs are also shooting better in Smithfield, connecting on 42.6 percent of shots from the floor at home as compared to 36.9 percent away from the Chace Athletic Center. Bryant also converts 42.6 percent of 3-pointers at home, connecting on just 29.1 percent on the road.
CROSSING ENEMY LINES
Including members from Bryant's future home in the Northeast
Conference as well as Independents, the Bulldogs will compete
against seven different Division I conferences in 2008-09.
Here is how they've fared so far.
Bryant vs. Division I conferences:
America East: 1-1
Atlantic 10: 0-3
Independent: 1-0
Ivy League: 0-4
MEAC: 0-0
Northeast Conference: 3-5
Patriot League: 2-3
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. Kelsey O'Keefe
scored 17 points in the contest on four three-pointers and 6-for-15
total shooting from the floor while Siamone Bennett and Kristin
Mraz also scored in the double digits with 15 and 13 points,
respectively. O'Keefe and senior Cara Johnson paced the team on the
boards, each collecting seven.
OH CAPTAINS, MY CAPTAINS
Senior Cara Johnson and junior Kelsey O'Keefe have been named the
2008-09 team captains.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs travel to NJIT for a Wednesday night matchup (7 p.m.)
before returning to Smithfield for a 1 p.m. Senior Day contest
against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Feb. 21.
MAPPING IT OUT
Despite its home in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant boasts no homegrown
talent on its 2008-09 roster. Instead, the Bulldogs hail from five
different states, with six players coming to Douglas Pike from
Massachusetts and six 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 New Jersey (Hudspeth)
and Maine (Wood).
BULLDOGS ON THE AIR
Fans can catch all of the action this year by logging onto
www.bryantbulldogs.com to watch all Bryant home games live 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.
