Women's Basketball Downed by Providence, 78-69

Tuesday, November 18

Providence, R.I.

7 pm

Brown University

1-1

Providence

1-1

Brown

Providence

Women's Basketball Downed by Providence, 78-69

11/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Natalie Ball recorded a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds, but the Brown women's basketball team couldn't contain a second half surge from the host Friars in Providence's 78-69 win at Alumni Hall on Tuesday night. The Bears even their record at 1-1 while the Friars also hit the .500 mark at 1-1 after losing their season-opener at Richmond on Friday.

Ball (Orlando, Fla.) hauled in a career high 13 boards on Tuesday night, also matching a career best for points with 11 before being forced to the bench with four fouls in the second half.

Jordin Alexander (Fishers, Ind.) added a team best 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field, running her season field goal percentage to 56.3-percent and points per game to 23.0.

Sophie Bikofsky (Newton, Mass.) and Rebecca Musgrove (Plainview, N.Y.) each posted double figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. Musgrove, the sophomore point guard, totaled a team high three assists on Tuesday.

Freshman Janie White (Clarksville, Tenn.) nearly boasted a double-double of her own, totaling nine points and eight rebounds.

A sluggish start led to an early 10-2 Friars lead, but much like Saturday's game at Vermont, the Bears regrouped and clawed their way back to take the lead after a 13-5 run.

Bikofsky cashed in on her first trey of the game to give Brown its first lead at 15-14. Musgrove broke a 19-19 tie with eight minutes to play with a put back after one of her three steals of the opening stanza.

The Bears established a much-needed inside presence in the opening half as they held a 24-21 edge on the glass, led by Ball's nine boards, which matched a career high for the junior forward at that point.

Providence regained the lead at 25-21 after a bucket from Alexis Harris and free throws from Evi Iiskola, but Brown once again rallied to take the lead back on Musgrove's jumper with 27 seconds to play. After two Friar free throws, freshman Megan Reilly (Norwood, N.J.) beat the first half buzzer with an off-balance shot to give the Bears a 33-31 halftime lead.

An early 9-2 run in the opening minutes of the second half staked the Bears to a seven-point cushion before the Friars responded to cut the lead to two just moments later. White quelled the Providence rally with a key trey to bring the lead back up to five.

With Ball on the bench with four fouls and the Bears leading by seven, the Friars went to work and rallied for a 56-52 lead after back-to-back treys from Tori Rule. The senior guard's three treys in the second pushed the Providence lead to its largest at 10 points with just two minutes to go.

Alexander cut the deficit to four as she scored while being fouled, but the Bears couldn't draw any closer as Providence iced the game with free throws down the stretch.

Sarah Beal led the Friars attack with 24 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the charity stripe, while Chanise Baldwin brought in a game high 13 rebounds.

The Bears return to action on Saturday night for the third-leg of their three-game road swing at New Hampshire beginning at 7 p.m.