BRYANT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

January 3, 2007

Women's Hoops Starts Fast; Defeats Merrimack 88-51

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. - The Bryant University Women's Basketball team started quickly and cruised from there, as they defeated the Merrimack College Warriors 88-51 Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference game at the Lawler Arena in North Andover, Mass.

Dominating the paint throughout, freshman Kelsey O'Keefe (Warren, Mass.) posted a career high 26 points in 26 minutes, while grabbing nine boards, while senior Lauren Rubenoff (New Hartford, Conn.) added a double-double, on 19 points and ten rebounds.

Bryant started quickly, scoring the game's first 18 points, forcing Merrimack to call time twice in the first seven minutes. The Bulldogs forced 15 first-half Warrior turnovers as a result of a full court press. O'Keefe scored eight of the game's first 18 points, on easy lay-ins off passes from Lynne-Ann Kokoski (Hatfield, Mass.) and Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI).

The Warriors missed their first 14 shots and did not make a field goal until eight minutes into the game when Casey Miller drained a three.

Skiba added 12 points (two three-pointers), while freshman center Adrianne Mayshar (West Boylston, Mass.) came off the bench to score seven

Eleven of the Bulldogs' 14 players scored in the victory, including Stephanie Fontaine (Franklin, Mass.) who scored five points in five minutes after missing the last five games due to injury

Bryant (8-5, 4-4 NE-10) returns to the Chace Center Saturday, looking for its third straight victory against #24 Saint Rose at 1:30 p.m.