Bulldogs take third straight, top Holy Cross 74-68 Wed.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Four double-figure scorers helped lift the Bryant University women's basketball team to a come-from-behind 74-68 victory over Holy Cross, Wednesday evening at the Chace Athletic Center.

The Bulldogs (6-1) captured their third-straight win overall and just their second all-time against the Crusaders (1-7) in a gritty showdown in Smithfield.

All tied up, 59-59, a Moly Hourigan layup put Holy Cross up a bucket at the 3:24 mark, until a Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) free throw and back-to-back 3's from Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) and Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) quickly lifted Bryant to a 66-61 edge with 1:40 left on the clock.

The two teams traded free throws, briefly preserving the Bulldogs' five-point edge, until a Lisa Misfud 3-pointer brought the Crusaders within two. A crucial steal with 23 seconds left by Ivory Bailey and clutch free throw shooting helped seal the 74-68 victory for the Black and Gold.

Ivory Bailey led Bryant with 19 points to go along with six rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) turned in her first double double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) added a career-high 15 points and eight rebounds with Winder posting 15 points and five boards.

Rucker finished with seven points, five boards and three steals, while Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) registered a season-high six points off the bench.

Raquel Scott paced Holy Cross with a game-high 26 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, while Katie Doherty finished with 10 points.

An up and down opening few minutes brought the score to an 11-11 tie at the under 16-media break until the Bulldogs opened their first lead of the contest, 22-13, halfway through the first half. A 13-5 Crusader run over the next five minutes brought the visitors within a point, 27-26, at the final media break of the period.

Holy Cross came back to take its first lead of the game since the opening minutes at the one minute mark, 31-29, on a Thomas-Waheed and-one, but late buckets by Olander and Ivory Bailey gave Bryant a 33-31 halftime lead.

Olander led the Black and Gold at the break with eight points and five rebounds, while Scott led all scorers with 10 points to go along with eight boards and two assists for the Crusaders.

The two teams battled tough in the opening ten minutes of the second half with neither team holding more than a two-point lead at any point and it wasn't until a 5-0 run through the 11-minute mark that the Crusaders were able to open a 47-42 edge.

Back-to-back makes from long range and Leahy's third layup of the contest pushed Bryant back in front, 50-49, until a Scott corner jumper edged Holy Cross into the lead with 8:54 left on the clock. The Bulldogs brought to within a single point on multiple occasions through the six-minute mark but Scott, just as she's done all night, answered back to keep the visitors in front.

Clutch shooting a hardnosed defense helped Bryant notch its second three-game win streak of the season, knocking off Holy Cross, 74-68.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will look to extend their streak to four games when they visit Cornell, Saturday at 2 p.m.