SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Saint Michael's College women's
basketball team (11-16) ended its season on Sunday with a 58-53
overtime loss at Bryant University in the First Round of the
Northeast-10 Conference Tournament at the Chace Center.
Junior Allison Dunn (Whippany, N.J./Morris
Catholic) led a balanced scoring attack for Saint
Michael's with 10 points, hitting 4-of-5 shots from the field.
Three other Purple Knights tallied seven points apiece. Senior
Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union)
netted seven points and a team-high eight rebounds in the final
game of her collegiate career, while sophomore Megan
O'Connor (Georgetown, Mass./Georgetown) and freshmen
Alexis Keller (Harrington Park, N.J./Old Tappan)
added seven points off the bench. The Purple Knights made just
1-of-3 foul shots in the contest, and were undone by 28 turnovers
and a 45-33 rebounding disadvantage.
For Bryant (19-9), Kelsey O'Keefe and
Lauren Rubenoff had a game-high 14 points apiece,
with O'Keefe adding 11 rebounds. With the win, the Bulldogs advance
to Tuesday's NE-10 Quarterfinals, where Bryant will visit
second-seeded College of Saint Rose at 7 p.m.
Saint Michael's trailed by nine in the second half, but forced
overtime on a lay-up by freshman Michelle Otey
(Southborough, Mass./Algonquin Regional) with 15 seconds
left in regulation. A Dunn 3-pointer gave Saint Michael's a 50-47
lead early in overtime, but Bryant went 7-of-11 from the foul line
in overtime - and grabbed three offensive rebounds off of missed
free throws - to seal the victory.
Also playing in the final contest of their collegiate careers
were seniors Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls
Union) and Laura Grzewinski (Ashby, Mass./North
Middlesex Regional). Dani Rayner had five points, six
rebounds and three steals in her final game, while Grzewinski added
four points off the bench.
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