SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team faces Fairleigh Dickinson for the second time this season on Monday at 7 p.m. in Smithfield.
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES
This contest marks the 16th meeting between the Bulldogs and Knights with the series in Bryant's favor, 11-4.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Monday's contest marks the second time the Bulldogs and Knights have faced off this season. In early January, the Bulldogs defeated the Knights, 56-48, in Hackensack. Most recently, FDU defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, 59-58.
FDU leads the conference with 14.70 offensive rebounds per game, headed by Amina Markovic's 2.94 offensive boards per game, placing her second in the league.
The Knights are led offensively by Brianna Thomas, who is the only Knight to average double figures at 12.7 per game. In her 18 appearances and 17 starts, Thomas has shot 36.1 percent from the floor, 26.8 percent from three and 64.2 percent from the line.
LAST VS. FDU
In their last matchup, the Bulldogs and Knights competed into the fourth quarter with the hosting Knights pulling within one with 2:39 to play, but sophomore Haley Connors' three helped distanced the Bulldogs. In the final minutes, the Black and Gold put the game away at the line en route to their 56-48 win.
OLANDER
After going 0-for-6 from the floor at Saint Francis U., senior Morgan Olander bounced back at Central Conn., finishing with a team-high 13 points off 6-for-11 mark from the field.
COLD FROM THREE
The Bulldogs have shot under 30 percent from three in 13-of-20 games this season, hitting less than five from deep in all 12 games. In Bryant's worst performance from deep, the team went 1-for-16 from behind the arc in the season opener at Vermont. The Bulldogs are most recently coming off a 9.1 percent shooting mark from three.
REBOUNDING MARGIN
The Bulldogs average the NEC's highest rebounding margin at +5.8 per game, placing them 44th nationally. In their best performance, Bryant out-rebounded Brown by 23, marking their highest rebounding differential since the 2014 season. The Bulldogs have lost five battles on the boards to Maine, Sacred Heart, Wagner, Robert Morris and Central Conn. by single digits.
