Box Score (PDF) | Harris Postgame
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Megan Hendrick (Alexandria, Va.) scored a career-high 20 points to lead a late-game comeback, but the UMass Lowell (2-10) women's basketball team fell to the Bryant Bulldogs (5-6), 73-62, on Wednesday evening.
The River Hawks registered four double-digit scorers for the first time all season, led by Hendrick and
Oda Shackelford's (Edinburgh, Ind.) career-high 13 points.
Nicole Hayner (Bedford, N.H.) chipped in 12 on four three-pointers, and
Kayla Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.) rounded out the group with 11 points.
Trailing 66-50 halfway through the fourth, the River Hawks offense went on a 10-2 run to pull within 68-60 with 2:59 left in regulation, but the Bulldogs scored five straight to build a 73-60 buffer. Hendrick and Hayner added their fourth triples of the night. Gibbs also added a pair of free throws to extend her double figure scoring streak to 10 consecutive games.
"I thought our ladies did a good job of staying resilent throughout and we hit a couple big shots down there stretch," commented Head Coach Jenerrie Harris. "We didn't make enough defensive plays to get us back into the game over the final two minutes, and we gave up five quick points to go down 13. I think we just have to turn that corner to be able to put a team away when we're in striking distance, especially on the road."
Hendrick led the River Hawks through the first 10 minutes with eight points, and connected on two of her five threes in the final minute to bring UMass Lowell within 22-15 heading into the second frame.
The Bulldogs opened the contest on a 10-4 run, before
Nicole Hayner drilled a triple with 5:01 on the clock. Behind 10 points from Alex Klein, Bryant built a 20-9 lead with 65 seconds left, before Hendrick went on her 6-0 run.
In the second, the Bulldogs opened up an 11-point buffer at 28-17 with 6:14 on the clock. Shackelford scored four of her six second-quarter points to spearhead the River Hawks on an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 32-28, with 21 clicks remaining in the half. Bryant's Stephanie Lesko buried her second three of the game with 12 seconds left to send the hosts into the intermission with a 35-28 advantage.
To begin the second half, Hendrick and Hayner scored a quick five points to carry the visitors within 35-33. The Bulldogs countered the fast start with a 14-5 spurt to open a 49-38 advantage with over three minutes left in the third, and took control with a 59-44 lead just six seconds into the fourth.
The River Hawks are off until entertain the Keene State Owls on December 30 at 1 p.m.
