Holloway records first double-double, Bulldogs hang tough with Pitt

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Freshman Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) posted her first-career double-double and the Bryant University women's basketball team cut the deficit to just six in the fourth quarter but the University of Pittsburgh was able to hold on for a 76-60 victory on Tuesday night at the Petersen Events Center.

Playing for the third time in four days, the Bulldogs (4-4) turned the ball over a season-high 25 times against a Panthers (7-2) team that was playing at home for the ninth-straight time to open the season.

Senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) led the Black and Gold with 21 points thanks to a 15-of-18 showing at the free throw line. The 15 made free throws are the most by a Bryant player since Jenniqua Bailey sank that many against Vermont in 2014. Holloway added 12 points and 10 boards for her first double-double and junior Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) chipped in 13 points and six rebounds. The Bulldogs finished the game 14-of-41 from the field and made a season-high 29 free throws in 35 attempts.

Pittsburgh finished the game 30-for-66 (45.5) and received a double-double, including a game-high 23 points, from Brenna Wise. Jasmine Whitney (14) and Aysia Bugg (10) also finished in double figures.

Trailing by as many 13 points in the third quarter, Klein scored 11-straight points, all from the free throw line, to pull the Bulldogs back into the game. She canned four free throws to make it a nine-point game with 1:18 left in the third and then hit four more to bring Bryant within seven, 50-43, with seven seconds left. Klein finished her torrid stretch with three-straight free throws to start the fourth quarter and pull the Bulldogs within six.

The Panthers answered with an 11-2 run over the next two minutes to quickly push the lead back to 16. Whitney started the run with two from the charity stripe, drilled a three from the corner and then completed a three-point play moments later to make it 64-48 with 5:28 to play in the game. The Bulldogs never got closer than 14 the rest of the game and freshman Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) hit a three at the buzzer to account for the final score.

Bryant battled in the first half and trailed by just five at the break. Sophomore Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) knocked down a three from the top of the key as the shot clock wound down to give the Bulldogs their first lead, and Klein made two free throws to make it 7-4. Pitt would retake the lead 11-10 but Bailey answered with her only three of the game to give Bryant a two-point lead. The Bulldogs, however, turned the ball over on their next two possessions and the Panthers took advantage with five-straight points to lead after the first quarter.

Holloway opened the second quarter with a layup to give Bryant a 17-16 lead and Palmer hit two free throws to make it a three-point game. It would be the Bulldogs' final lead as Wise ignited a 7-0 Pitt run with five-straight points. Bryant would struggle to score the rest of the quarter, turning the ball over eight times and going 8:31 without a field goal.

The Black and Gold turned the ball over four-straight possessions at one point but a pair of Bailey free throws and a long jumper from senior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) left the Bulldogs down by just five after 20 minutes. Bryant scored eight of its 12 points in the second quarter from the free throw line, going 8-for-8.

Bryant will now have three days off before facing Massachusetts on Saturday in Amherst, Mass. Tip is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.