Bulldogs to play in consolation game tomorrow, following 62-51 loss to Friars in Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team led Providence after the first quarter, but the Friars were able to outscore the Bulldogs in the following 30 minutes, including a dominant, 18-11, fourth quarter, to win the opening game of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, 62-51, on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (3-3) led by as much as seven in the first half, but the Friars (7-0) got going in the second quarter and junior Ivory Bailey's (Wyomissing, Pa.) deep jumper with 19 seconds to go in the second tied the contest at the half, 26-26. Providence continued its momentum into the third, tying and then taking back the lead off a jumper by Jovana Nogic and a three by Clara Che with 8:26 to play in the third. Nearly 30 seconds later, junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) came up with a steal and bucket down the other end to put Bryant up by one, 32-31.  

The Bulldogs and Friars would go on to exchange the lead five times in the final 7:38 of the third, as PC came out of the period with a 44-40 advantage in the wake of the team's 6-0 run to end the quarter. Providence's six-point streak was ignited by Che's three with 1:03 to play in the period.

Into the fourth, the Friars slowly started to pull away, finding an eight-point edge after Aliyah Miller drained a jumper with 5:11 to play. The Bulldogs found themselves in foul trouble down the stretch and the Friars were able to get it done at the line, as Miller's foul shot pushed PC's lead to nine, 53-44, with 4:17 to play. On the contrary, the Bulldogs struggled from the line, missing six attempts in the fourth. A Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) missed free throw was followed up by Sarah Beal's jumper that gave the Friars their first double-digit lead of the game, 57-47, with 3:19 to go in the game.

Following freshman Sydney Holloway's (Morgantown, W. Va.) fifth foul, Miller went one-for-two from the charity stripe to give the Friars their largest lead of the game, 62-49, with 1:08 to play. Seconds later, Bailey stroked both from the line to pull Bryant within 11, 62-51, but the Friars would dribble out the clock to stay undefeated on the season and secure their place in tomorrow's tournament finals.

Bailey finished with a game-high 14 points off 5-of-13 from the floor, 1-of-6 from behind the arc and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe. Senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) backed her with 11 points, finishing as the only other Bulldog in double-digits after shooting 3-for-5 from the field and 5-for-8 from the line. Providence totaled four double-digit scorers led by Allegra Botteghi and Che's 13 points, respectively. Miller and Beal rounded out the list with 10 and 11 points apiece.

The Bulldogs outshot the Friars 37.5 percent to 37.3 percent from the floor, but PC out-performed Bryant at the line, 66.7 percent to 52.2 percent, and behind the arc, 28.6 percent to 20 percent. The Bulldogs won their sixth-straight game on the glass, outrebounding PC, 38-37, but the Friars took the battle on the offensive boards, 10-9. Bryant coughed up the ball on 21 occasions, in which the Friars converted into 16 points. The Black and Gold translated 16 PC turnovers into 17 points down the other end.

The Bulldogs will face the loser of Brown, Rhode Island in tomorrow's consolation game at 1 p.m. at Brown.