Bulldogs look to remain perfect in NEC, host Red Flash Mon.--7 pm

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FULL GAME NOTES

ON TAP AT THE CHACE ATHLETIC CENTER
The Bryant University women's basketball team looks for its fifth-straight victory when it hosts Saint Francis U., Monday evening at 7 p.m.

THE SERIES
Monday marks the 10th meeting between Bryant and Saint Francis U. with the Red Flash holding a 5-4 margin in the all-time series. Last year, the two teams split the season series with the Bulldogs stealing the first meeting in Loretto, Pa., on the heels of a coast-to-coast game-winner by Jenniqua Bailey. However, the Red Flash got their revenge when they visited Smithfield in January behind 30 points from Alexa Hayward. The Black and Gold are 3-1 at home all-time vs. Saint Francis with the only loss coming last season.

SCOUTING THE RED FLASH
Saint Francis U. enters Monday's contest with a 2-12 overall record, 1-2 against Northeast Conference opponents, with wins against Coastal Carolina (Dec. 21) and Robert Morris (Jan. 5). However, that record is deceiving as the Red Flash have played one of the toughest non-conference schedules possible with games at #14 Tennessee, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia.

Coming off an 82-77 loss at Sacred Heart on Saturday, SFU will look to its senior and scoring leader Alexa Hayward who upped her scoring totals to 23.5 points per game (second in the NEC) behind her fourth 30-point outburst of the season vs. the Pioneers. The Red Flash offense starts and ends with the senior guard as Hayward leads her team in points, shots made, shots attempted, assists, and minutes played. Junior guard Aisha Brock ranks second on the team with 11.6 ppg and a team-best 5.0 rebounds per game.

The up and down tempo that SFU is known for has yet to reach its high offensive output of seasons past, putting up just 67 ppg while allowing nearly 88 ppg to opponents. The Red Flash also average almost 20 turnovers per game and are getting out rebounded by a margin of 12 boards per game.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite a tough start, the Bryant University women's basketball team persevered to take down Fairleigh Dickinson, 82-77, Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

With the victory, the Bulldogs (10-4, 3-0 Northeast Conference) win their fourth-straight game and improve to 3-0 in NEC play for the first time in program history, while the Knights (3-11, 0-3 NEC) drop a tough decision despite shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.

Junior guard Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) paced the Black and Gold with a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) notched her sixth double double in seven games with 19 points and 16 boards.

Freshman Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) rounded out Bryant's double digit scorers with 19 with Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) chipping in five assists and four points.

FDU's Erika Livermore led all scorers with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks, with Kelsey Cruz adding 19 points and five steals. Valerie Oyakhilome added 17 points of five-of-six shooting from deep off the bench.

3-0 AND IT FEELS SO GOOD
The Black and Gold have opened Northeast Conference play 3-0 for the first time in program history thanks to a comeback victory over FDU on Saturday. Bryant and Central Connecticut State currently sit atop the NEC standings as the lone remaining unbeatens in the league.

GOING STREAKING
With four-straight wins under their belt, the Bulldogs have put together their longest win-streak of the 2014-15 season. Bryant will look to improve its streak to five games, which would match the largest win streak since 2013-14.

WINDER GETTIN' BUCKETS
Junior guard Tiersa Winder's strong play continued on Saturday vs. FDU as the junior registered a career-high 25 points in the come-from-behind victory. Over the last four contests, Winder is averaging 19 ppg and currently leads Bryant on the season at 15 ppg (seventh in NEC).

RUCKIN' N ROLLIN'
Junior forward Breanna Rucker has been an absolute beast for the Black and Gold this season, posting her 11th double double of the year on Saturday, finishing with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Rucker has notched a double dip in six of the last seven games and currently ranks first in the NEC in rebounding (11.4 rpg), eighth in scoring (14.8 ppg) and sixth in FG percentage (.446). Rucker's 12 game of 10+ boards also is tops among league opponents, with the nest closest person having just seven.

WINDEX
Always among the top rebounding teams in the Northeast Conference, Bryant once against sits at the top in almost every rebounding category in the league rankings. Outrebounding opponents by an average margin of 7.1 rpg (first in NEC), the Bulldogs have outrebounded the opposition in 13 of 14 games this season.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…
The Bryant women's basketball program has been well represented on the Northeast Conference weekly awards this season with a Bulldog earning either Player of the Week or Rookie of the Week honors in five of the first seven weeks. Most recently, Ivory Bailey picked up her fourth NEC weekly honor after garner Rookie of the Week accolades. Last season, Bryant did not receive a single NEC weekly honor.

HOME SWEET HOME
After playing eight of its first 13 games on the road, the Bulldogs return to Smithfield for four of the next five contests. Bryant is 5-1 at the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center so far this season.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey became the 22nd player in Bryant women's hoops history to score her 1,000th career point on Dec. 31 at UNH, and just the third to do so all at the Division I level. Bailey, who currently ranks third in scoring in Bryant DI history, now needs just 246 points to become the programs all-time DI leading scorer, a mark currently held by Naana Ankoma-Mensa (1,282).

STARTING FIVE
All five Bulldog starters (Jenniqua Bailey, Tiersa Winder, Ivory Bailey, Breanna Rucker, and Morgan Olander) are averaging at least 10 points per game enter Wednesday's game and all rank in the top 20 in the Northeast Conference in scoring, making Bryant the lone team to accomplish that feat.

FIRST OF THE MONTH
With the Bulldogs' 79-66 win at LIU Brooklyn on Saturday, Bryant has now recorded victories in each of its first games starting a new month this season. Previously, the Black and Gold had picked up victories over Maine to begin November and Holy Cross to open December.

THE CENTURY CLUB
Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey appeared in her 100th career game on Nov. 30 vs. PC, becoming just the eighth player in Division I program history to do so. Bailey, currently at 108 career games, is within reach of breaking the all-time program record for games played in a career (121), a mark currently held by Dede Fogarty (2001-05).

TICKET TO THE RIDE
Single-game and season ticket packages are still available for the 2014-15 men's and women's basketball seasons. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or by calling the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-519-TIXX.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference have partnered with Pack Network to create NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts in 2014-15. Visit www.NECFrontRow.com for more information and a schedule of events.