Gaziano’s Career-High 35 Points Pace Women’s Hoops Past Bryant 84-68

Saturday, December 1

Kingston, R.I.

2:00 PM

Brown University

Bryant

Brown

Gaziano’s Career-High 35 Points Pace Women’s Hoops Past Bryant 84-68

12/1/2018 5:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior guard Justine Gaziano scored a career-high 35 points, hitting 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers to lead Brown University women's basketball to an 84-68 win over Bryant University in the semifinals of the third annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Playing at the University of Rhode Island's Ryan Center, the Bears (6-4) held a 47-29 lead at halftime and gained a lead as large as 21 points in the second half to defeat the Bulldogs (2-5) and advance to the tournament's championship game.

The Bears will meet the host Rams in the title game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. while Providence will face Bryant in the consolation game at noon. URI beat Providence, 72-65, in the first semifinal on Sunday.

"Although we didn't play our best for parts of the game, we took a lead early and kept it," Brown head coach Sarah Behn said. "We reversed the outcome from the first time that we played Bryant three weeks ago so I'm pleased about the overall progress in that way. We know we have to have our A-game tomorrow if we want to win this cup again."

Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) set career highs for points (35) and field goals made (13) while making 5-of-5 shots from 3-point distance for the third time in her career. She scored 23 points in the first half, making 9-of-13 field goals, 3-of-3 treys, and 2-of-2 free throws. She scored over 30 points in game for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career. Her 35 points tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history.

Senior guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) posted her first double-double of the season and the third of her career with 16 points and 10 rebounds alongside three assists.

Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) tallied 12 points and a career-high eight assists despite playing 21 minutes due to foul trouble. She has set a career high in assists in each of her last two games and averaged 7.5 assists per game over her last two outings.

Junior center Haley Green (Salem, Va.) tied her career high with nine rebounds, senior forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) registered seven points, five boards, and three assists, and senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) grabbed seven rebounds.

With her 35 points, Gaziano now has 1,056 career points, tying for 16^th place on Brown's career scoring list. She passed Shonica Tunstall '92 (1,036 points) and is tied with Shelly Weaver '93. Gaziano now has 104 career made 3-pointers, becoming the ninth player in program history – including Mehta and Steeves – to hit 100 or more career 3-pointers.

"Justine was terrific – she has been working really hard," Behn said. "I was really pleased with Justine and our team at the foul line. Haley Green and Jenna Benzinger gave us a great inside presence. They both made us stronger under the rim and altered shots."

For the game, Brown shot 47.2 percent from the field, 45.0 percent from 3-point distance, and 87.5 percent from the free throw line, while limiting the Bulldogs to 32.0 percent from the field, 26.7 percent from distance, and 55.2 percent from the charity stripe.

Brown evened the season series with Bryant at 1-1 after the Bulldogs beat the Bears 75-57 on Nov. 8.

The Bears opened the game with an early 7-3 lead as Butler connected on a 3-pointer, and Mehta and Gaziano each made a layup. Buckets from Will and freshman guard Traiva Breedlove (Rochester, N.Y.) kept Brown ahead 11-7 with 3:38 to go in the first quarter before four points from Gaziano and two points apiece from Will and Steeves helped Brown maintain a 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Brown began the second quarter on a 12-2 run, pulling ahead 31-18 with 6:32 left in the half. Gaziano hit a pair of wing 3-pointers during the run, and Green capped the stretch with a layup. A trey from Mehta and four points from Gaziano kept the Bears up 38-22 before Bryant closed the gap to 38-27.

The Bears then used a 9-0 run behind five points from Gaziano and baskets from Will and sophomore center Jenna Benzinger (Williamstown, Mass.) to gain a 47-27 edge. Brown remained ahead 47-29 at halftime.

In the first half, Brown led in fast break points (10-2) and points off turnovers (13-6), while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point distance.

Inside of the first four minutes of the third quarter, Will converted a 3-point play, Gaziano nailed a corner 3-pointer, and Green made a layup as Brown led 57-37. Bryant closed the gap to 57-45 with an 8-0 run. The Bears scored the final three points of the frame to remain ahead 60-45 heading to the fourth quarter.

Butler scored the Bears' first four points of the fourth frame before a layup from Breedlove pushed the Bears' edge to 66-50 with 6:55 to play. The Bulldogs whittled the margin to 66-57 with seven straight points before Brown responded with a 16-4 run to pull ahead 82-61 with 1:42 remaining. During the burst, Will, Gaziano, and Mehta all hit 3-pointers, and Will added an old-fashioned 3-point play.

For Bryant, Sydney Holloway posted a double-double on 16 points and a game-high 20 rebounds, Kierra Palmer scored 15 points, and Naomi Ashley tallied 11 points and seven steals.

Game Notes:
Justine Gaziano has now scored 20 or more points five times this season and 24 times in her career. She has scored in double figures nine times on the year and 53 career times. She made 10 or more field goals in a game for the second time this season and seventh time in her career and made four or more 3-pointers for the second time this season and ninth time in her career. She now has 104 career 3-pointers, ranking eighth all-time at Brown … Taylor Will scored in double figures for her sixth straight game played and for the 37^th time in her career … Shayna Mehta has scored in double figures in all 10 games this season and 77 times in her career. She now has 219 career made 3-pointers and 1,476 career points. She has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and in 31 of her last 32 outings … Brown improved to 9-2 against Division I schools from the state of Rhode Island since the start of the 2015-16 season … The Bears improved to 5-0 all-time at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament … Brown improved to 8-5 all-time vs. Bryant … The Bears scored over 80 points in a game for the second time this season.

Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

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.