SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team will enjoy its brief holiday break a bit more after defeating UMass Lowell, 73-62, on Wednesday in Smithfield.

Senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) paved the way for the Bulldogs (5-6), finishing with 26 points, marking her sixth 20+ scoring game of the season. The forward went 10-for-21 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line. Sophomore Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) drained a season-high 13 points off a 4-for-10 mark, including three from downtown. Senior Morgan Olander's (Mansfield, Conn.) 10-point performance rounded out Bryant's double-digit scorers.

The River Hawks were led by Megan Hendrick, who scored 20 points off 6-for-13 shooting from the floor, 4-for-9 mark from three and 4-for-4 tally from the line. Nicole Hayner hit a perfect 4-of-4 from deep to finish with 12 points.

The Bulldogs struggled to make layups in the first quarter, but found success from range, as freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) and Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) connected from three in part of Bryant's 8-2 run to start the game. Junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) helped the Bulldogs take a 22-15 edge in the first after grabbing two steals and scoring a bucket to help Bryant on a 10-2 run. The guard also dished out five assists in the first half, including a pass to Klein, who drained the jumper to finish the first period with 10 points. Ashley would finish the game with a career-bests eight helpers and nine rebounds, while contributing six points.

The Black and Gold led by as much as 11 in the first half, including the double-digit lead following Olander's elbow jumper that put the hosts up, 26-15, with 8:05 to play in the second. Slowly the River Hawks began to chip away at Bryant's lead cutting it to four, 32-28, off a pair of free throws by Asia Micthell-Owens, but Lesko's three with 12 seconds to play in the half pushed the Bulldogs' advantage to seven, 35-28, at the break.

Nearly a minute into the third, Hayner hit her second three of the game, pulling the River Hawks within two, 35-33. After cooling down in the second quarter, Klein heated back up in the third, reaching 20 points in the contest off a bucket that put Bryant up 11, 49-38, with 3:03 to play in the period. Connors followed freshman Sydney Holloway's (Morgantown, W. Va.) jumper with a three from the elbow extended to give Bryant its largest advantage, 56-42, with 12 seconds to play in the period.

Connors stroked another from deep to open the Bulldogs' scoring in the fourth, giving the Black and Gold a 15-point edge with 9:54 to go in the contest. Just before the media timeout, the Bulldogs would string together five-straight, including a layup by Klein off Ashley's eighth helper to go up 15, 65-50, with 6:29 to play. Despite the Bulldogs' eight-minute, double-digit lead, the River Hawks continued their pursuit, pulling within eight, 68-60, after an 8-0 run. The visitors' stretch included threes from Hayner and Hendrick. Bryant found an answer, as Connors three-ball extended the Bulldogs' lead to 13, 73-60, with 2:01 on the clock. In the final minutes, the Bulldogs forced a turnover and came down with two offensive rebounds, securing their 73-62 win.

Bryant shot 38.9 percent from the floor, a season-high 53.3 percent from three and 70.6 percent from the line, while Lowell finished 43.8 percent from the field, 40 percent from behind the arc and 84.6 percent from the stripe. Bryant limited themselves to 15 turnovers and won the battle on the boards, 40-32, including 16 offensive rebounds.

The Bulldogs turn their attention next to Northeast Conference play when they travel to New York to take on St. Francis Brooklyn and LIU Brooklyn on Dec. 29th and 31st.