Bulldogs battle FDU, Monday - 7pm on ESPN3

Watch: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: FDUKnights.com

FULL GAME NOTES

ON TAP AT STRATIS ARENA
The Bryant University women's basketball team will look for its third-straight victory when it battles Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, N.J., Monday evening (7 p.m.) on ESPNU.

THE SERIES
Saturday marks the 12th all-time meeting between Bryant and Fairleigh Dickinson with the Bulldogs holding a 7-4 series lead. The Black and Gold have taken the last four matchups, including an 82-77 victory on Jan. 10 in which junior guard Tiersa Winder put up a then career-high 25 points, while classmate Breanna Rucker finished with 19 points and 16 boards. FDU's Erika Livermore led all scorers with 27 points.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Monday night's matchup with a 7-16 overall record, 4-8 against Northeast Conference opponents. After opening league play 0-4, the Knights have gone .500 to position themselves in 7th place in the NEC standings. Most recently, FDU dropped an 82-75 decision at Wagner on Saturday despite 49 combined points from Erika Livermore and Kelsey Cruz.

The two-headed offensive juggarnaught of Cruz and Livermore lead the Knights with both averaging upwards of 18 points per game, while Livermore's nearly 10 rebounds per game ranks only second in the NEC to Breanna Rucker. Senior point guard Amanda Andrades runs the offense with a league-leading 6.3 assists per game to go along with 9.9 ppg.

As a team, the Knights boast the fourth-best offensive attack in the NEC putting up over 67 ppg, they also rank in the top five in FG percentage (.388), FG defense (.409), 3-point FG defense (.312), blocked shots (4.26), steals (8.78), and turnover margin (+.91).

LAST TIME OUT
Despite scoring a season-low 18 points in the first half, the Bryant University women's basketball team knocked off Mount St. Mary's, 55-53, Saturday evening in Emmitsburg, Md., clinching a spot in the 2015 Northeast Conference Tournament.

The Bulldogs (17-7, 10-3 Northeast Conference) rode a 14-0 run at the beginning of the second half to clinch their third-straight trip to the NEC Tournament, while the Mountaineers (7-17, 5-8 NEC) drop their sixth-straight league contest. Bryant's 17th regular season victory also ties a single-season Division I program record, a mark set just one year ago.

Trailing by three with 1:04 to play, five-straight points by the Black and Gold, including a jumper from Morgan Olander and a 3-pointer from Tiersa Winder gave the visitors a 53-51 edge with just 27 seconds left on the clock. On the subsequent possession, The Mount responded to knot the score with 16 seconds remaining.

With time ticking down, senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey earned herself a trip to the free throw line where she knocked down a pair to put the Bulldogs up, 55-53, with nine seconds to play. The Mountaineers had one final shot with four ticks left, but were unable to convert sealing the big road victory for Bryant.

Winder led all scorers with 14 points, including 3-of-8 from deep, to go along with four rebounds and a pair of assists, while Jenniqua Bailey finished with 12 points, six boards, four helpers and three steals. Freshman Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) and junior Breanna Rucker each chipped in eight points and seven boards, with Rucker also tallying three steals. Olander added six points in 27 minutes and junior sharpshooter Dani Anderson posted five points off the bench.

Sarafina Arthur-Williams was the lone Mountaineer to hit double digits in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds and six steals, while Jacqueline Brewer finished with just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field.

NEC STANDINGS HEATING UP
With just five games remaining in the regular season, the top half of the Northeast Conference standings could not be any tighter. Central Connecticut (11-2) and Robert Morris (11-2) are currently tied for first place, with the Bulldogs (10-3) sitting in third just a game behind. Entering Monday, CCSU, RMU, and Bryant are the only three teams to clinch a NEC Tournament berth.

PLAYOFFS?!
With the win over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, the Black and Gold clinched their third-straight postseason berth. Since becoming Division I postseason eligibile in 2012-13, the Bulldogs have qualified for the NEC Tournament in each of the last three seasons, finishing 8th in 2012-13, and tied for 3rd in 2013-14.

BRYANT TIES DI SINGLE-SEASON WIN MARK
The Bulldogs earned their 17th regular season victory with their win at Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, tying the Division I program record for wins in a season set just last year (2013-14). Bryant is also within reach of breaking the program record for NEC wins in a season (11, 2013-14) and the program record for overall wins in a season (22, 2003-04, 1987-88).

RUCKIN' N ROLLIN'
Junior forward Breanna Rucker posted her 18th double-double of the season in the Feb. 9 victory over Mount, putting up 23 points and 11 rebounds in 43 minutes of action. Rucker's NEC-leading 11.8 rebounds per game ranks seventh in the country and her 16.6 points per contest are fifth best among league opponents. Through 24 games this season, Rucker has hit double-figures 20 times, eclipsing the 20-point plateau six times.

MONEY MORGAN
Sophomore center Morgan Olander has registered double-doubles in each of her last four of her last five games, including an 18-point, 11-rebound outing at Robert Morris on Jan. 31. Olander, who is averaging a career-best 11.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, scored double figures in seven-straight games prior to Saturday's game at Mount.

BRING ON MONDAYS
With their 74-72 overtime win vs. Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 9, the Bulldogs improved to a perfect 6-0 on Mondays this season. The Bulldogs are 12-1 this year during the work week (Mon.-Fri.) and just 5-6 on weekends.

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.