CALIFORNIA, PA -- Destiny Ryles and Mia Smith combined for 37 points to defeat the California (PA) Vulcans (2-1), 60-53, in the 2024-2025 season opener on the road inside the Convocation Center Tuesday evening.
The Bulldogs (1-0) had two players score in double figures, led by Ryles, who had 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Smith tacked on 13 points and Beulah Odiong added eight points.Additionally,Shelby Ricks recorded five points and four rebounds, while Kristin Sterling grabbed eight rebounds.
The Bulldogs defense held California (PA) shooters to just 30.5 percent from the field, including 23.5 percent from three-point range. Bowie State did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in 12 second chance points.
How It Happened
After falling behind 13-5, Bowie State went on a 6-0 run with 5:41 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Gabriella Clary, to narrow its deficit to 13-11, a score that would hold for the rest of the period.
California (PA) kept adding to that lead, building an 18-15 advantage before Bowie State went on an 8-0 run to take a 23-18 lead. The Bulldogs proceeded to tack on four points to that lead and enjoyed a 29-20 advantage heading into halftime.
Following intermission, Bowie State continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 40-28 before going on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Odiong, to expand its lead further to 48-28 with 46 seconds to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Vulcans had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Bulldogs still entered the fourth quarter with a 48-30 edge. Bowie State turned six offensive rebounds into five second chance points on the way to scoring 19 total points in the quarter.
The Bulldogs then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter.
Game Notes
» The Bulldogs held the Vulcans to only 30.5 percent shooting from the field.
» Bowie State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Ryles, Smith, and Odiong combined to account for 75 percent of the Bulldogs points.
» The Bowie State defense forced 23 turnovers.
» Bowie State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive boards in the game.
» Ryles led the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points.
» Bowie State got a team-high eight rebounds from Kristin Sterling.
Next Up
Bowie State will continue its road stand when the Bulldogs travel to Norfolk, Va., on Friday, Nov. 15 for a 6 p.m. road game against Old Dominion.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
