BRYANT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

December 5, 2006

Women's Basketball Falls with 1.5 Seconds to go 62-60

Waltham, Mass. - Despite leading for most of the game, the Bryant Women's Basketball team dropped a tough game in the final seconds to Bentley College 62-60 Tuesday night at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.

With the Bulldogs leading 60-59 in the waning moments, Shannon Kirwan nailed a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds to play to give the Falcons the victory.

Bentley finished the game on a 17-4 run, while the Bulldogs made only two of eight free throws in the final two minutes.

Senior Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, CT) caught fire in the second half scoring 18 points, sparking a 19-6 run midway through the second half.

Leading a 10-0 run midway through the second half. Rubenoff scored eight of those ten points and added four offensive rebounds during the sequence. Bryant took advantage of four more Bentley turnovers, as Adrianne Mayshar (West Boylston, MA) had a big impact in the paint.

But Bentley never gave up, as they came right back sinking four straight three-pointers, while going on a 14-4 run to pull within four with 1:21 to play.  Kirwan hit three second-half threes, including two in the final 25 seconds.

Rubenoff finished with a career-high 23 points and six rebounds, while senior co-captain Erin Murphy (Albany, NY) added seven points and six rebounds.

The Bulldogs got off to a great start, as senior co-captain Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI) scored the game's first seven points. Skiba finished with ten points.

Bryant forced 17 Falcon turnovers in the first half and led by as much as nine in the first half, but the Falcons finished the first half on a 7-0 run and trailed Bryant only by two, 27-25.

The Bulldogs (5-2, 3-2 NE-10) will return home Saturday and welcome Southern New Hampshire to the Chace Center at 1:30 p.m.