Brown Outduels Bryant In Women’s Basketball Rivalry Showdown

Brown University Press Release

SMITHFIELD, R.I.  – Brown women’s basketball picked up its thirds-straight win with a 58-53 win over Bryant. The win marks the fourth-straight victory on the road for Brown, the first time Brown has won four-straight away from home since 2019-20.

Kyla Jones led the Bears with 18 points, while Isabella Mauricio scored 14 points, all coming in the second half. Mauricio hit a season-high four threes to lead the Bears. Grace Arnolie finished the game with 11 points and pulled down a career-best nine rebounds. Arnolie also was tied with Ada Anamekwe with a team-leading four assists.

The Bears outrebounded Bryant, led by Arnolie. Anamekwe and Gianna Aiello each pulled down eight rebounds.

Brown’s defense held Bryant to 39 percent from the floor and held Bryant’s leading scorer, Mia Mancini to just one point. Mancini entered the game averaging over 15 points per contest. The Bears also forced 18 turnovers with 12 steals. Alyssa Moreland led the way for Brown with four steals.

Brown jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead with two baskets from Jones and one from Anamekwe. The Bears got baskets from Moreland and Jones as the quarter continued and Brown remained up four. Layups by Aiello gave the Bears a 14-9 advantage after one quarter.

Jones scored Brown first four points of the second quarter to get to double-figures and put Brown up 18-11 but a 6-0 run by Bryant forced a timeout with Brown up 18-17. The Bryant lead grew to 23-19 as the Bulldogs went on a 10-0 run.

Brown finally got a basket to fall, breaking a 0-for-13 streak from three to start the game as back-to-back threes by Arnolie and Young put the Bears up 25-23. Jones added a layup to cap an 8-0 run and the Bears held a 27-23 lead at halftime.

Up two early in the third, Brown got a three from Mauricio to start a 10-2 run. The run was capped by another three by Mauricio and Brown led 37-29. Brown was held scoreless for the last 5:40 of the third quarter as Bryant went on an 11-0 run to take a 40-37 lead into the final frame.

Mauricio’s third three of the game tied up the contest early in the fourth quarter. Bryant took the lead with a three but an offensive rebound and layup by Anamekwe put Brown on top with 5:!6 left to play. Another layup by Anamekwe put Brown up three. After a Bryant basket, Arnolie hit a corner three to make the lead four. Bryant cut Brown’s lead to one with a three but Arnolie responded again with a jumper.

Bryant picked up a layup on its next possession but the Bears drew up a play for Mauricio who knocked down the wing three to make it 54-50 with 41.2 seconds left. Arnolie was sent to the free throw line with less than 20 seconds on the clock, hit the first, but missed the second. Brown rebounded the ball after Olivia Young tipped the rebound to Mauricio and after another Bryant foul, two free throws by Jones put the Bears up four with 7.4 seconds on the clock for the final margin.

UP NEXT
The Bears will return home to start a two-game stretch at the Pizzitola Sports Center with a game against Johnson & Wales on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m.