SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Amanda Torres (Hudson, N.H.) scored a career-high 20 points to lead four double-digit scorers, but the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team had two 3-point field-goal attempts rim out in the final minute of a 75-72 loss to Bryant University at the Chace Athletic Center on Friday afternoon.
Torres paced UNH (0-2) with eight field goals (in 17 attempts) and four assists to go along with 4-for-5 free-throw shooting and two steals in a team-leading 39 minutes, but her on-target 3 rimmed out with 51 seconds left and the 'Cats trailing 73-72.
The Wildcats never led in the fourth quarter but were within one point on seven different occasions.
Ivy Gogolin (Hopkinton, Mass.) was a near-perfect 7 of 8 from the FT line and finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two steals. Héléna Delaruelle (Enghien-Les-Bains, France) scored 14 points (6-12 FG, 2-2 FT) pulled down seven rebounds and added two steals and two assists.
Friday, November 27, 2020 • 2 p.m.
Bryant 75, UNH 72
Chace Athletic Center • Smithfield, R.I. Box Score
Brooke Kane tied her career high in points (10) & added personal bests in blocks (4), rebounds (6), assists (2) and steals (2)
Brooke Kane (Derry, N.H.), who entered the game with three career blocks, blocked four shots, equaled a career high with 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-2 3pt FG, 1-3 FT), and set career bests in rebounds (6), assists (2) and steals (2).
The freshman class continued to impress; Adara Groman (Hopkinton, Mass.), who started for the second straight game, corralled a team-best nine rebounds and scored four points, while Paige Cote (Sanford, Maine) tallied seven points, including 1-for-3 from 3-point distance, and three rebounds.
With seven seconds left, Cote's open, 3-point look from the left wing went halfway down before falling out to allow Bryant (1-1) to hang on for the home victory.
For the victorious Bulldogs, Brooke Bjelko had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Alana Perkins added 16 points and seven rebounds, and Nicole Gallagher contributed 13 points and six boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED 1st Quarter
•Torres parlayed a pair of steals into layups, including an And-1, to score the Wildcats' first five points en route to a 5-2 lead.
•With the scored tied 7-7, Cote buried a straightaway 3-pointer to stake the 'Cats to a 10-7 advantage.
•The Bulldogs went on an 11-0 run over the final 3:43 of the quarter to take an 18-10 lead.
2nd Quarter
•Bryant's run extended to 14 straight points and a 21-10 edge before UNH responded with a 24-11 run to lead 34-32 at the half.
•The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs, 11-0, in points off turnovers in the second, with UNH playing a turnover-free quarter while forcing six turnovers.
•UNH shot 53.3 percent (8-for-15) in the period and owned the paint, where it outscored Bryant 14-4.
•The Wildcats offset three-point shooting struggles (1-for-8, 12.5 percent) with efficiency from the free-throw line (9-for-12, 75 percent).
First Half Notes
•Tenacious UNH defense led to eight steals and a 19-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
•A balanced scoring effort saw seven of the eight Wildcats who saw action score.
•Gogolin went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line and scored seven points to tie Torres (3-7 FG, 1-2 FT) for team-high honors.
•Kane pulled down five rebounds to lead the 'Cats. She and Torres each had two steals.
•Delaruelle went on a late burst to score six of New Hampshire's final eight points of the quarter.
•Bryant held the edge in rebounding (22-15) and hit 4 of 9 (44.4 percent) from the 3-point line.
•The Bulldogs led by as many as 12 points and were ahead for 11:35 of the half, but the Wildcats brought the 2-point lead to the locker room.
3rd Quarter
•Layups from Kane and Torres allowed the Wildcats to up their lead to 38-34 with 8:35 left in the quarter.
•Gallagher scored four points as Bryant went on a 7-0 run to move back in front, 43-40, with 6:14 left.
•Cote scored four consecutive points -two free throws and a field goal- to cut a five-point deficit (47-42) to one (47-46) with 3:16 left.
•Bryant led 52-48 at the end of the third.
•The Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats in points off turnovers (7-0) and second-chance points (4-0) in the quarter.
4th Quarter
•On the first possession, Delaruelle stole the ball in the backcourt and raced ahead for a lay-in that drew UNH within 52-50.
•Kane's 3-pointer from the right corner with 7:52 left reduced Bryant's lead to 56-55.
•UNH moved to within one point, 60-59, by virtue of a short, left-side bank shot from Torres (assisted by Kane) with 6:36 left.
•New Hampshire again sliced the deficit to one, 62-61, with 5:36 remaining when Gogolin calmly buried a pair of foul shots.
•The Wildcats climbed within one when Torres hit a runner (64-63), Gogolin hit a layup (66-65) and Torres connected on two free throws (73-72).
GAME NOTES
•UNH shot 45 percent (27-60) as a team but was only 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from 3-point land. Bryant went 6-for-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc.
•New Hampshire shot 80 percent (16-20) from the FT line to Bryant's 68.2 percent (15-22).
•The 'Cats held the defensive edge in steals (12-8), points off turnovers (28-15) and fastbreak points (17-6).
•The Bulldogs outrebounded the Wildcats, 44-33, which included a 16-8 advantage in second-chance points.
•Bryant head coach Mary Burke is in her 30th season.
•UNH head coach Kelsey Hogan is 30 years old; she is the youngest D-I head coach in the country.
•The Bulldogs snapped a 4-game losing streak in the series and took a 5-4 all-time lead against the Wildcats.
•This marked the eighth consecutive season the two schools have gone head-to-head.
NEXT UP
•UNH is tentatively scheduled to open America East Conference competition with a two-game series against league newcomer NJIT on Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 5-6 (Time TBA) at Lundholm Gym.
