January 28, 2006

Women's Basketball
Bryant 60, Franklin Pierce 52

BRYANT WOMEN DEFEAT FRANKLIN PIERCE, 60-52 SATURDAY
Bulldogs Earn First Conference Win Of Season

RINDGE, NH – Shannon Perry (Providence, RI) scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help lead the Bryant women's basketball team to a 60-52 win at Franklin Pierce Saturday afternoon. 

Franklin Pierce (12-8, 9-6 Northeast-10) entered the game ranked No. 7 in the region, got a season-high 22 points from Heather Jacobs, 19 coming in the second half as the Bulldogs withstood a late Franklin Pierce rally with strong free throw shooting down the stretch to pull out the win.

Bryant (4-16, 1-14 NE-10) came out red-hot from the start, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor for the first 10 minutes in racing out in front 12-4 following an Erin Murphy steal and layup.  After a Joanna Skiba fast-break bucket, Lynne-Ann Kokoski drained a short jumper to give Bryant its largest lead of the first half at 18-7.

The Bulldogs shot 40.7 percent from the floor in the first half in taking a 28-23 lead into the locker room at the break. 

In the second frame, Bryant used a 10-0 run midway through the second half to take a 42-29 lead as the Ravens were held without a field for more than 6 minutes during the Bulldog run.  After a Jacobs bucket in the lane and a turnaround jumper by Danielle D'Ettorre, Perry scored inside to push Bryant's lead back up to 46-33 with just over 8 minutes left.

Jacobs would single handily keep the Ravens close, as two jumpers by the senior trimmed Bryant's lead down to 48-44 but that would be as close as the hosts would get.  Lauren Rubenoff scored on a hook shot in the lane and Perry buried two more free throws to give Bryant some breathing room, 54-44 with under three minutes left.

Skiba and Rubenoff each had 12 points for the Bulldogs while Kokoski finished with 10 points including a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.