NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – The Bryant University women's basketball team lost to Merrimack College 70-66 in Northeast-10 Conference game played Tuesday evening in North Andover.
 

The first half saw both teams start out slow as they combined for 12 points over the first seven minutes of the game. The teams would get into an offensive rhythm to tie the game at 23 with five and half minutes to play in the half.

Bryant (17-10, 12-10 NE-10) got its biggest lead of the half when Emily Sauck (Scottsdale, AZ) scored on a lay-up to make it 37-30 Bulldogs with two minutes left. She finished with 10 in the half. Merrimack (23-4, 18-4 NE-10) would cut the lead to the three before Dede Fogarty (Middletown, Conn) converted a steal into a lay-up with a second left, giving Bryant a 41-36 halftime advantage heading into the locker room.  

Merrimack would answer the call in the second half, tying the scorer at 53-53 thanks to a pair of Joelle Martin free throws with just over ten minutes remaining. From there the Warriors would use a 13-4 run to take a 66-57 lead with four minutes to go.

The Bulldogs would cut the lead to four on a Nancy Marrero (Middletown, Conn.) steal and lay-up with 17 seconds to go, but the Merrimack would hold on for the 70-66 win.  

Bryant was led by Fogarty who finished with 16 points and six steals. Two Bulldogs finished with double-doubles as Sauck had 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Lindsay Hermann (Bristol, Conn.) had 11 points and 13 rebounds. Joanna Skiba (Providence, RI) also added 10 points. Merrimack was led by Martin who had 28 points and Eileen Brosnihan who added 14.   

Bryant will return to action Sunday, February 27, in a Northeast-10 Conference Tournament First Round hosting Franklin Pierce at 2 p.m.