Bulldogs visit Panthers, Tuesday night in Pittsburgh

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Fresh off a third place finish in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, the Bryant University women's basketball team travels south to face Pittsburgh in the two teams' first-ever meeting on Tuesday night.

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES
This contest marks the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Panthers and fourth contest against an ACC opponent.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS
The Panthers began their season on a six-game winning streak, beating the likes of Mount St. Mary's, Loyola Maryland and Cornell, before dropping back-to-back games to Purdue and Charlotte. When the Panthers have won, they have won big, averaging 18.4 more points than their opponents this season. Pitt dishes out the ball on average of 18.9 times per game, while limiting turnovers to 9.6 times per game.

Pitt is lead offensively by sophomore forward Brenna Wise who averages 12.0 points per game off 46.6 percent shooting from the floor, 27.8 percent from three and 85.2 percent from the line. Brandi Harvey-Carr, the 6-4 transfer center from DePaul, averages 11.3 points per game, hitting team-highs of 50.0 percent from the field, 60.0 percent from behind the arc and 89.5 percent from the charity stripe. Aysia Bugg and Alayna Gribble round out the Panthers' double-digit point scorers through the team's eight games this season.

KEYS TO THE GAME
The Panthers likes to push the ball in transition, so it will be vital for Bryant to slow the ball down and play strong defense against their bigger forwards. The Bulldogs will look to come out with a lot of energy to start the game and will aim to maintain it through their hard work on defense, as well as making baskets in transition.

OCEAN STATE TIP-OFF RECAP
The Bulldogs lost their opening game of the tournament to Providence, 62-51, but bounced back to break a three-game losing streak, beating Rhode Island, 62-56, to claim third place. The Black and Gold reclaimed the lead from the Rams with just minutes to go in the game, ultimately, putting the game away at the line, connecting on 7-of-8 in the final 4:20 of the game to come out on top.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Freshman Sydney Holloway was named to the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament team, following her career-best 16 point performance against URI. The forward led the team, shooting 6-for-6 from the line and 5-for-14 from the field, while grabbing six rebounds and four steals in part of the team's season-high 14 takeaways. Holloway's perfect shooting from the line helped Bryant to a Division I program-best 92.9 percent shooting from the stripe. The rookie put up six points and six rebounds against Providence in the opening game of the tournament.

CHARITY STRIPE
After struggling from the charity stripe in the last four games, the Bulldogs bounced back to shoot a Division I program-best 92.9 percent off 13-for-14, led by freshman Holloway's 6-for-6 performance. The Bulldogs' free throw shooting against URI helped the team move to 70.1 percent shooting on the year.

GIVEAWAYS
The Bulldogs average 20.6 turnovers a game, giving up a season-high 24 against Holy Cross and New Hampshire. The Bulldogs had 15 unforced errors at UNH alone. The Black and Gold have coughed up the ball 20+ times on five occasions, including most recently 22 turnovers against URI. This season, the Bulldogs have given up 112 points off turnovers, allowing a season-high 21 at Rutgers. The Black and Gold tally 100 points off opponents' giveaways, including a season-high 24 against Vermont.

NON-LEAGUE
Against non-league competitors in Division I play, the Bulldogs sit at 49-64, including just two winning seasons against non-conference opponents. The 2014-15 season was the last time the Bulldogs entered NEC play with a winning record, sitting at 8-5, while last year, Bryant went 4-9 to start the season. Bryant's strength of schedule has played a large role in its non-league struggles, including when Bryant played Big East member Seton Hall, America East competitor Maine and ACC opponent Boston College. The more challenging non-conference schedule continues this season with games at the Big Ten's Rutgers and the ACC's Pitt, along with similar nonleague opponents that Bryant faced last season.

VS. ACC
Bryant's matchup against Pitt is only the second ACC opponent the Bulldogs have faced. The Black and Gold are currently 0-3 against ACC foes, losing all three games to Boston College.

QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Of the 29 periods the Bulldogs have played this season, including the overtime against Holy Cross, they have outscored their opponents on 15 occasions. In their largest quarter differential, Bryant outscored the Crusaders, 21-11, in the opening period on the contest. The Bulldogs scored a season-low four points in the third quarter at Rutgers, going just 1-for-13 from the floor. In their winning periods, the Bulldogs average 2.73 more points. In their losing periods, the Black and Gold average a deficit of 3.46 points. Bryant has tied their opponents in two quarters, one occurring in the first period and the other in the last.

PICKING POCKETS
The Bulldogs stole the ball from URI 14 times, marking a new season best after recording 10 steals at Rutgers. Three players totaled four steals in the contest, including Naomi Ashley, Kierra Palmer and Holloway. The last time the program recorded 14+ takeaways was against Saint Francis U. on Jan. 25, 2016 (14).

REBOUNDING MARGIN
For the first time this season, the Bulldogs average a single digit rebounding margin of +9.0 per game. The team's average places them first in the NEC and 37th nationally. In their best performance, Bryant out-rebounded Brown by 23, marking their highest rebounding differential since the 2014 season. In their closest margin, Bryant and Rhode Island tied, both grabbing 42 boards.

MILESTONE WATCH
Senior Morgan Olander reached 500+ rebounds against URI, as she grabbed six boards to put her at 503 in the 98 games she has appeared in.

BURKE'S BLURB
In regards to Pitt: "It's always great for us to be able to play against teams at this level and gain exposure. So far I think we have handled the challenges very well. We are looking to take steps forward and come out with a 'W'. We've played Rutgers, Providence, URI, all of which have been on the road, and I think that is important in games like these. You have to prove to yourself that you can compete and win these games. We were able to beat URI yesterday and I am hoping that carries against Pitt."