Winder's big day lifts Bryant to comeback win over Sacred Heart

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind a career-high 27 points from junior guard Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.), the Bryant University women's basketball team held off Sacred Heart for a 71-67 victory Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

The Bulldogs (13-5, 6-1 Northeast Conference) pick up the comeback victory to stay atop the NEC standings while the Pioneers (8-9, 3-4 NEC) drop their second-straight game for the first time since Dec. 17.

Winder led all scorers with 27 points on 5-of-9 shooting from deep despite battling foul trouble in the first half, while classmate Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted her 14th double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) rounded out Bryant's double digit scorers with 13 points to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Freshman Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) added seven points, five boards and a career-high five assists, while senior Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) chipped in six points and four assists.

Hannah Kimmel led Sacred Heart with 16 points and eight rebounds, but it was Katie Shepard who stole the show in the second half, finishing with 15 points, six boards and five assists. Gabbi Washington finished with nine points and seven boards while Alissa Tarsi put up 12 points off the bench.

The two highest-scoring teams in the NEC took a few minutes to find their footing on the offensive end but it was Winder early on who carried the Bulldogs with 13 of their first 15 points to open a two point edge with 11 minutes left in the first half. Over the next few minutes, neither team managed to muster more than a three point advantage resulting in a 23-23 tie at the final media timeout of the half.

In the final seconds of the frame, Jenniqua Bailey collected a Pioneer turnover and took in the length of the court, setting up Rucker for the layup just as time expired to even the score, 28-28, at halftime.

Winder led all scorers with 13 first half points while Tarsi (10) and Kimmel (9) led the way for Sacred Heart.

Seven quick points from Kimmel to open the second half granted the visitors their largest lead of the contest, 40-34, at the first media break of the period. The Pioneers pushed the margin to as high as nine but back-to-back buckets from Winder and Rucker brought the hosts back within five, 46-41, at the 12-minute mark.

Sacred Heart maintained their single-digit edge through the under-eight media timeout, 52-49, where the lead stood until a Winder jumper brought the Black and Gold within a point with 3:14 left on the clock. Bryant knotted the score, 63-63, thanks to a pair of free throw from Winder with just under two minutes to play, but Washington quickly boosted her team back to a two-point edge with just ninety seconds to play.

Four-straight Bulldog points, including a clutch Olander 16-footer, propelled the hosts to a two-point lead, their first of the half, with just under a minute remaining in the contest. An Adaysha Williams layup with 16 ticks left evened the score once again, 67-67, until a pair of Winder freebies sealed a huge come-from-behind 71-67 victory.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs will wrap up their three-game homestand when they welcome the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds to town on Monday for a 7 p.m. tilt.