SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team caps off week two of conference play, taking on Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Stratis Arena.
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES
This contest marks the 15th meeting between the Bulldogs and Knights with the series in Bryant's favor, 10-4.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
After losing their first two conference games of the season to Saint Francis U. and Robert Morris, the Knights enter Monday night's game fresh off their first conference win over Wagner on Saturday, 59-53. FDU's previous two wins came in non-league play against Longwood and NJIT.
The Knights average 61.2 points per game but give up on average 7.7 more points to their opponents. FDU also averages 0.3 less boards than its competition and coughs up the ball 19.9 times per game.
The Knights are led offensively by redshirt senior Brianna Thomas who averages 12.9 points per game off 34.9 percent shooting from the floor, 26.9 percent from three and 70 percent from the line. The forward also leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. Thomas is the only Knight to average double-digit points through the first 14 games of the season.
FIVE GUYS
For the first time this season, five Bulldogs finished with double-digits points, including four from the Bryant starting lineup. Sophomore Haley Connors and senior Morgan Olander paved the way with 15 points, as Connors hit a career-high five threes. Senior Alex Klein finished with 13 points, while junior Naomi Ashley scored a career-best 12 points off a 5-for-8 mark. Sophomore Kierra Palmer added 11 points, stroking a three in the final minutes of play to reach double-digit points.
TRIPLE THREAT
Connors recorded a career-high five threes against the Mount, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc, tying her career-best 15 points.
HIGH PERCENTAGES
The Bulldogs finished with a season-high 78 points, winning by their largest margin, 16, after shooting a season-best 49.1 percent from the floor, while hitting 41.2 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the line.
70+ POINTS
When scoring 70+ points, the Black and Gold are 4-0, defeating Holy Cross, Brown, UMass Lowell and Mount St. Mary's.
OFF THE BENCH
Connors was a major contributor for the Bulldogs off the bench, leading the team with 15 points vs. Mount after scoring the second-most points with 13 against UMass Lowell. The sophomore guard went 5-for-11 from the field and hit a career-high threes, as she went 5-for-10 from downtown against Mount. Against UMass Lowell, Connors shot 4-for-10 from the floor and knocked down three from behind the arc in 27 minutes of play.
FROM THE LINE
The Bulldogs are first in the NEC, shooting 76.7 percent from the line, while freshman Sydney Holloway tops the league with an 89.1 percent mark from the stripe, placing her 25th in the nation.
PICKING POCKETS
Ashley has recorded 4+ steals on four occasions, including five takeaways on three occurrences, most recently in Bryant's win over Mount. The Bulldogs are 3-1 when the junior guard records 4+ steals. Ashley sits second in the NEC with 2.36 steals per game. The team finished with 12 takeaways in the contest. The Bulldogs stole the ball from URI 14 times, marking a new season best after recording 10 steals at Rutgers. Three players totaled four steals in the contest, including Ashley, Palmer and Holloway. The last time the program recorded 14+ takeaways was against Saint Francis U. on Jan. 25, 2016 (14).
