The women's basketball team was soundly defeated by Bryant University 81-58 Wednesday at home.
The loss followed a mixed Thanksgiving week for Bruno (2-4). Last Wednesday, the Bears defeated the University of Rhode Island (2-4) in a highly anticipated game, sliding by 55-51. Key to the Bears' victory, co-captain Sheila Dixon '13 achieved her first double-double of the season with an impressive 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Last Saturday, Bruno fell to the University of Pittsburgh (5-1) in the final 10 seconds of the match. With just nine seconds on the clock, the Panthers' Abby Dowd scored a three pointer, securing a 58-57 victory for Pittsburgh.
On the heels of those close games, the Bears had more difficulty keeping pace this Wednesday against Bryant (1-4). Despite Bruno's best efforts, the Bulldogs' overwhelming shooting accuracy kept them in a steady lead throughout the game.
"We got off to a slow start," said Head Coach Jean Burr. "We let that affect our intensity on defense."
Bryant established dominance quickly, putting up an 11-point lead 10 minutes into the game. With the help of co-captain Lindsay Nickel '13 and two three-pointers by Lauren Clarke '14, Bruno reduced the gap to eight points. But that was as close as the Bears came to catching up with the Bulldogs all evening, and Bryant soon revived, widening its lead to 33-22 by half time.
The Bears' deficit continued to grow, reaching 20 points during the second half. Though Clarke and Sophie Bikofsky '15 both registered double figures by the game's close, the Bears' 29 percent shooting accuracy couldn't contend with Bryant's impressive 58 percent.
Conspicuously absent from play, Dixon sat on the sidelines for the entirety of the game, having suffered an injury in practice two days prior. Dixon has started in all of Bruno's other games this season and contributed points in double figures in all but two of those matchups.
"Sheila Dixon is out, which is definitely a big adjustment for the team," Burr said. "She was a very explicit player, an extraordinary athlete defensively and on the boards."
Despite Dixon's indefinite absence from play, Burr said she is optimistic about Bruno's ability to adapt. "We have others who are going to step up," she said.
The Bears will next face Rider University Saturday in the Pizzitola Center.
