Stahura, Bulldogs end 2011-12 with 65-53 victory over Wagner

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Guided by senior Brittany Stahura's (Amsterdam, N.Y.) first career double-double and a strong performance in the paint, the Bryant University women's basketball team put the 2011-12 season in the books and went out on a high note, as the host Bulldogs took down Wagner College, 65-53, on Monday evening at the Chace Athletic Center.

Snapping a six-game losing streak in the process, the Bulldogs finish a historic season with a 14-15 overall record while going 7-11 in the Northeast Conference and finishing the year in ninth place in the league standings. The Seahawks end the year 2-27 overall with a 1-17 league mark.

Before the action on the court, the Bulldogs honored two players in a pregame ceremony to thank seniors Kaitlyn Hinck (Bow, N.H.) and Stahura, who played for the final time donning the Black and Gold. A four-year player who finished with more than 500 rebounds and 150 assists in her career, Stahura was the only Bulldog to start in every game this season. Hinck – a four-year soccer star at Bryant – joined the team as a walk-on in December and injected energy and intensity into the lineup while earning consistent minutes during the second half of the season.

But it was Stahura who lit up the scoreboard on Monday night, as the New Yorker helped run an offense that struggled from the field early in the first half by means of her 10 points and game-high six assists while keeping Wagner at bay with four steals. Stahura went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line, setting career highs in free throws made in a single game, and hauled down a game-high 13 boards to account for her first collegiate double-double performance – fittingly enough – in her final match.

Junior guard Danielle Douglas (Silver Spring, Md.) torched the Seahawks for a game-high 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting and made her only 3-point attempt of the game. Douglas also went 4-for-5 from the stripe and chipped in five rebounds and matched Stahura's steal total with four. Rounding out the group, sophomore Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) finished off an impressive sophomore campaign by securing her title as the team's leading scorer with a 14-point outing and 12 rebounds.

Wagner's Brittney Thorpe enjoyed a successful evening by means of 15 points and a 6-for-14 clip from the field, while Laura Amorosa went 2-for-3 from long range to account for 11 points. Senior Kelly Clark chipped in eight points and garnered a side-high eight rebounds and came up with two steals, as well.

Both squads did not have particularly memorable nights from the field, but after a slow start, both the Bulldogs and Seahawks managed to register shooting percentages in the 30s. Bryant finished 22-of-63 (.349) on the evening and went a paltry 2-for-11 (.182) from downtown but managed to hit 19-of-26 (.731) from the free throw line. Wagner went 18-of-51 (.353) on the game while having a slightly better touch from long range, as the Seahawks hit 6-of-16 (.375) from outside. Wagner went 11-for-18 (.611) from the stripe.

After both teams struggled from the field early on – both sides shot a combined 7-for-27 (.259) – the Bulldogs managed to take a four-point lead midway through the first half. But the lead would change hands on seven more occasions until Stahura tied the match at 32-32 on a pair of free throws with 1:09 to go in the frame. Sophomore Steph Cardamone (Freehold, N.J.) sent the home team into the break with a three-point edge after making her only long-range shot of the game with 32 seconds left, and Bryant went to the locker room with a 35-32 edge.

But in the second half, the Bulldogs quickly pulled away after Amorosa tied the game with a trey in the first minute. Bryant used a 13-1 run over the span of 4:46 to take a commanding 12-point lead (48-36) with 14:15 remaining. Wagner reeled off six straight to cut that advantage in half, but the Black and Gold benefited from a 13-3 run to take a commanding 16-point edge (61-45) with 4:16 to play, and margin would be enough for the home side to hang on for the victory.

Despite a late-season slide, the Bulldogs set the bar higher than ever before in 2011-12. Among the team's accomplishments, Bryant currently leads all Division I programs in the state of Rhode Island in victories, although Providence College (13-15) will play once more in the regular season. Bryant also ranked as high as second in the Northeast Conference, and the peak of the season came after the Bulldogs swept preseason No. 2 Robert Morris and two-time defending league champion Saint Francis (PA) in back-to-back games in early January.

Graduating just two players from a roster hit hard by injury, and coupled by several marquee seniors graduating across the league after this season, the Bulldogs could be in prime position to qualify for their first-ever Division I postseason tournament in 2012-13. Bryant returns nearly 90 percent of their total scoring from this season, including the top five scorers in Ankoma-Mensa (12.4 ppg), Douglas (11.5 ppg) and classmates Katie Whittington (Twinsburg, Ohio) and Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.).

For continuing coverage of Bryant University women's basketball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.