Bulldogs battle Pioneers, Saturday 1 p.m. in Fairfield

Watch: NECfrontrow.com
Live Stats: SacredHeartPioneers.com
Follow along on Twitter: @BryantGameday

FULL GAME NOTES

ON TAP AT THE PITT CENTER
The Bryant University women's basketball team will look to complete a season sweep of Sacred Heart when it heads to Fairfield, Conn., for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Pioneers on Saturday.

THE SERIES
Dating back to Bryant's first Division I season in 2008-09, Sacred Heart holds a 10-2 lead in the all-time series, however, the Bulldogs enter Saturday's contest riding a two-game win streak against the Pioneers since their second meeting last year. Earlier this season in Smithfield, junior Tiersa Winder exploded for a career-high 27 points to lead the Bulldogs to a dramatic 71-67 victory over SHU.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart enters Saturday's contest with the Bulldogs with a 10-9 overall record, 5-4 against Northeast Conference opponents. Currently sitting alone if fourth place in the NEC standings, the Pioneers picked up back-to-back wins over the weekend knocking off Mount St. Mary's at home before taking care business at Wagner on Tuesday. Due to scheduling changes due to weather, SHU has only played two games since dropping a nail-biter at Bryant on Jan. 24.

Junior forward Hannah Kimmel leads her team with 16 points and nine rebounds in just over 32 minutes per game, while perennial All-NEC guard Gabbi Washington ranks second with 14 ppg. After missing a handful of games to start the season, Washington is truly beginning to hit her stride after putting up a season-high 29 points vs. The Mount en route to NEC Player of the Week honors. Sophomore guard Adaysha Williams ranks third on the team with nearly 12 ppg and is the only other player on the roster besides Kimmel to start all 19 games this season, while senior point guard Katie Shepard dishes out a team-high 5.2 assists per contest.

As a team, Sacred Heart ranks second among NEC opponents in scoring offense (70.6 ppg) and scoring margin (+5.2) behind just Bryant. The Pioneers rank first in the league in field goal percentage (.429), assists per game (14.05), and turnover margin (+1.21).

OH THE IVORY
Freshman guard Ivory Bailey put up a team-best 21 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, at Robert Morris on Jan. 31. Bailey followed that performance with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals in a win at Saint Francis U. on Monday en route to her sixth NEC Rookie of the Week honor. The freshman has now scored double figures in eight of 10 NEC games and has eclipsed the 20-point mark three times this season.

RUCKIN' N ROLLIN'
Junior forward Breanna Rucker has been an absolute beast for the Black and Gold this season, putting up 24 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in an overtime victory over LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 26. Rucker currently ranks first in the NEC and sixth in the country in rebounding (12 rpg), seventh in scoring (16.5 ppg) and fourth in FG percentage (.475). Through 21 games this season, Rucker has posted a league-best 17 double-doubles (tied for third in the country), including 12 in her last 14 games.

MONEY MORGAN
Sophomore center Morgan Olander registered a career-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field in the Jan. 26 victory over LIU Brooklyn. Olander has now registered double digits in each of the last five games including back-to-back double-doubles for the first time in her career at Robert Morris Saturday (18 and 11) and at Saint Francis U. Monday (11 and 13). Olander now has five double dips on the season, good for fifth in the league.

SENIORS STEPPING UP
Seniors Melissa Corraro and Leigha Tacey have both put together career years this season. Most recently, Corraro chipped in five points in back-to-back games at Robert Morris and Saint Francis U., while Tacey put up four points and a career-high eight rebounds Monday night vs. the Red Flash.

BRING ON MONDAYS
With their 73-71 win at Saint Francis U. earlier this week, the Bulldogs improved to a perfect 5-0 on Mondays this season. The Bulldogs are 11-1 this year during the work week (Mon.-Fri.) and just 4-5 on weekends.

FIRST OF THE MONTH
With the Bulldogs' 73-71 win at Saint Francis U. on Feb. 2, 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, Holy Cross to open December, and LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 3.

3-POINT BARRAGE
In Saturday's loss at Robert Morris, the Bulldogs went 10-for-24 from behind the 3-point arc marking just the third time this season, thus far, they made at least 10 3-pointers. Last year, Bryant knocked down at least 10 3s as a team three times in 32 games. Through 20 games, the Black and Gold are shooting over a 40 percent clip from behind the arc compared to 36 percent in 2013-14 and 26 percent in 2012-13.

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 8.8 rpg (first in NEC, 18th in the country), the Bulldogs have outrebounded the opposition in 18 of 21 contests this season.

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 Monday's game, making Bryant the lone team to accomplish that feat.

RECORD-SETTING NIGHT
Bryant was impressive across the board in its 84-48 victory over Wagner on Jan. 19, posting season-highs in margin over victory (36), assists (21), rebounds (61), 3-point field goals made (11), 3-point FG percentage (.688), and points allowed (48). The Bulldogs have now won six of their last seven and currently sit in first place in the NEC standings.

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 eight of the first 11 weeks. Most recently freshman Ivory Bailey grabbed her sixth NEC Rookie of the Week honor on Feb. 3. Last season, Bryant did not receive a single NEC weekly honor.

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 currently ranks second in scoring in Bryant DI history.

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 115 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.