Robideaux lights it up for 32
EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the look back at each day in Bryant athletic history has been so favorably received during the time when there was no sports during the COVID-19 shutdown, BryantDaily.com will continueposting past stories of Bryant athletics either posted on BryantDaily.com (from 2009 to the present) or published in the Bryant Times (from 1998 to 2008).
By ROB PATRICK
BRYANT TIMES
GREENBRIER — No doubt, the Greenbrier Lady Panthers would’ve just as soon had Joanie Robideaux’s shooting slump continue for just one more game.
The Bryant senior guard had been struggling with her shot for most of the young season coming into Friday’s game at Greenbrier’s dazzling $3-million basketball palace called the Panther Pavilion.
But much to the Lady Panthers’ chagrin, Robideaux busted out in a big way Friday with a career-high 32 points including a whopping eight 3-pointers to lead Bryant to a 76-64 victory.
It was the Lady Hornets’ largest offensive output of the season to date and improved them to 7-3 going into the holiday break. They don’t play again until they take on Bauxite in the first round of the Bryant Holiday Classic tournament on Thursday, Dec. 28.
Robideaux missed her first two 3-point attempts then connected on 8 of her next 11 long-range tries including her first three of them in the last 2:40 of the first quarter.
(Incidentally, the Lady Hornets record for 3’s in a game was set by Stephanie Rowton with 11 back in the day.)
Robideaux’s rush was set up by a strong showing inside from senior center Kim Jacuzzi and junior forward Bree Mann. After trailing 4-0, the Lady Hornets got on the board when Mann made a steal and missed her layup attempt. Jacuzzi was there to follow with a bucket.
After Carrie Stewart, who led Greenbrier with 30 points, hit a free throw, Jacuzzi scored off a lob to make it 5-4. A flurry of turnovers followed before Mann hit a driving jumper and drew a foul. When she completed the three-point play, Bryant was ahead to stay.
Robideaux got her first basket from just five feet away, making it 9-5. Stewart hit another free throw then Robideaux started bombing. Her first 3 was offset by a three-point play by Stewart.
A baseline jumper corded for Rachel Blakley then Robideaux drilled her second trey to make it 17-9. It was 17-12 when Robideaux rained another triple with :26 left in the period.
Sarah Beth Kirkland’s 3 kept Greenbrier close but Mann beat the buzzer with a short jumper to give Bryant a 22-15 lead at the break.
In the second period, sophomore Jennifer Slack got revved up for Bryant, scoring 9 points on her way to 21 for the game.
Greenbrier cut the lead to 4 on a 3 by Julie Johnston to start the second period but Slack hit a free throw then a back-to-back baskets to extend the lead again to 27-18.
The Lady Panthers got back to within 29-24 before Mann fed Robideaux for a layup and, after a Greenbrier miss, Robideaux canned another 3. Mann scored off another drive to make it 36-24 — the Lady Hornets’ first double-digit margin.
Bryant led 42-29 at the half.
The Lady Hornets blew the game open in the third quarter. Greenbrier hung around until midway through the period. Bryant led 47-38 then Robideaux flushed her first second-half 3 to start an 18-3 blitz.
Alicia Pemberton scored to make it 50-40 then Jacuzzi hit a jumper in the lane and Robideaux came up with a steal. Mann fed Slack for an easy deuce. Slack made a steal but Robideaux committed a turnover only to swipe the ball back. Mann fed Jacuzzi inside and the senior center came through with a three-point play to make it 57-40.
Another Greenbrier turnover resulted in another 3 by Robideaux. Sarah Fielder hit a free throw for the Lady Panthers but Slack knocked down a trey to up the margin to 63-41. Robideaux added a pair of free throws to complete the run with :56 left in the third quarter. The 24-point lead at that point was Bryant’s largest of the night.
It was 67-47 going into the fourth quarter. A three-point play by Steward to start the fourth-period scoring trimmed the margin to 17 but Slack in a jumper off a drive and Robideaux drained a 3 to make it 72-50. After Fielder scored for Greenbrier, Robideaux nailed her final triple to make it 75-52 and, before long, head coach Carla Crowder was emptying her bench.
Greenbrier, behind Stewart, whittled on the lead but got no closer than the final 12-point margin.
