.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Brown University
2-1
Bryant
3-0
Will Scores 25, Women's Basketball Falls at Intrastate Foe Bryant, 70-67
11/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore guard Taylor Will scored a game and career-high 25 points, and classmate Shayna Mehta netted 21 points, but Brown University women's basketball fell at Bryant University, 70-67, in an intrastate match-up at the Chace Athletic Center on Thursday night.
The Bears (2-1) took a 50-48 lead into the fourth quarter, but the host Bulldogs (3-0) gained the lead at the 7:41 mark of the final frame and held an edge the rest of the way.
Will (Arlington, Heights, Ill.) notched her 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting and posted 20 or more points for the second time in three games to open the year.
Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half, hitting 8-of-18 field goals for the game. Mehta has averaged 25.5 points per game in two career games against Bryant. Mehta and Will have each scored in double figures in all three of the Bears' games thus far.
Sophomore forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) totaled 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds while freshman Kathleen Ryan (Clarence Center, N.Y.) tacked on five points and five boards.
For the game, the Bulldogs gained a 47-24 rebounding advantage and led in second-chance points, 19-5.
Brown opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run with Will and Mehta each providing four points, staking the Bears to a 40-35 edge at the 7:41 mark of the frame. After an 8-0 Bryant streak, Mehta netted seven of the Bears' next nine points to push the visitors ahead 49-45 with 2:12 to go in the third. A free throw from freshman Abby O'Keefe (St. Louis, Mo.) gave Brown a 50-48 advantage heading to the fourth.
After Will made a wing trey to start the fourth quarter, Bryant scored eight straight points to pull ahead 58-53. Mehta and Will each knocked down a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 62-59 with 5:24 to go. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 66-59 before the Bears trimmed it to 66-65 with 1:52 left behind a pair of baskets on the inside from Steeves. Mehta made two free throws with 47.2 seconds to play, but the Bulldogs hung on for the win.
The two teams played within two possessions of one another throughout the first half with Brown holding a lead as large as four points, and Bryant gaining an advantage as large as five points. The Bulldogs took their 35-32 halftime edge through a 27-15 rebounding margin.
Will scored six early points on a pair of 17-foot jumpers and a reverse layup to keep the Bears within 12-11 at the 5:51 mark of the first quarter. O'Keefe hit a wing 3-pointer to push Brown ahead 14-13, and the two teams stood tied 18-18 after one quarter.
Ryan connected on a 3-pointer from the wing to open the second stanza, and later in the frame Will scored six straight points on a trio of baskets in the paint to give Brown a 30-28 edge with 3:28 to go until the half. A Mehta pull-up jumper kept the visitors ahead 32-28 before the hosts brought a 35-32 edge into the locker room.
For Bryant, Alex Klein posted a double-double on 18 points and 10 rebounds while Ivory Bailey netted 15 points – all in the second half. Sydney Holloway and Naomi Ashley chipped in 12 and 10 points respectively.
Next, Brown hosts Colgate at the Pizzitola Sports Center on Sunday at noon (ILDN) prior to hosting Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 22 at 4:00 p.m. (ILDN/Facebook Live).
Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ILDN.TV/BROWN.
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
