Bulldogs host River Hawks in final game before the holiday break, Wednesday at 4 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team looks to end its three-game losing streak and enter conference play with a win when they host UMass Lowell on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES
This contest marks the fourth meeting between the Bulldogs and River Hawks with the series in Bryant's favor, 2-1.

SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
The River Hawks enter the contest off an overtime win over Colgate, 82-77. After opening the season 0-8 with losses at Towson, Maryland, Indiana and the likes, the River Hawks got their first win against the NEC's Fairleigh Dickinson, 61-55. UMass Lowell has faced a number of tough competitors this season, averaging a scoring margin of -18.3, while allowing opponents to connect on 42.3 percent of shots. In contrast, the River Hawks hit 37.9 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from deep.

UMass Lowell is led by their only double-digit scorer Kayla Gibbs. The junior forward averages 12.5 points off a team-high 62.5 percent shooting from the floor and 71.2 percent mark from the line. Gibbs also tops the River Hawks with 6.8 rebounds in her 11 starts. Freshman guard Megan Hendrick averages 9.2 points per game, shooting 35.1 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the stripe.  Senior guard Nicole Hayner follows Hendrick, averaging 9.0 points per contest off a team-high 35.4 percent mark from behind the arc.

HOLL-YWOOD
Freshman Sydney Holloway has scored double-digit points in five games this season, four of which came in the last four games. Holloway notched her first double-double of the season off 12 points and 10 rebounds at Pitt. The forward is only the fourth freshman since the 2010-11 season to earn a double-double in her first season in Smithfield. The rookie's performance marks the eighth time in Division I history that a double-double has been recorded in an up-game, making her one-of-six players to do so. The forward netted a career-high 17 points at Massachusetts, finishing 7-for-13 from the field. Most recently, Holloway went career-best 9-for-9 from the line, finishing with 16 points against Maine, as she leads Bryant with 87.2 percent shooting from the stripe.

BEFORE THE BREAK
In Division I, the Bulldogs have historically gone 7-9 in the final two games before the holiday break. The last time Bryant won both games was in 2013, when they defeated Dartmouth and UMass Lowell.

UNFORTUNATE FOURTH QUARTERS
The Bulldogs unraveled in the final 10-minute period, as they went scoreless for 6:21, as UMass enjoyed a 16-0 run to start the fourth. The Black and Gold responded to the Minutewomen's 16-point lead by cutting the lead to six, but that was the closest the Bulldogs could close. In similar fashion, Bryant came back from a 20-point halftime differential to cut Maine's lead to 10, but a 13-0 fourth quarter run by the Black Bears put the game away, 77-52.

DRY SPELLS
Maine combined its three 13+ runs for 40 points, ultimately holding the Bulldogs scoreless for 13:46 during the three stretches. Bryant was held scoreless for 6:21 at Massachusetts, the longest stretch this season. The Bulldogs faced a number of major dry spells from the field at Pitt, including 8:31 in the second quarter without a field goal in which the Black and Gold turned the ball over eight times. In the third, the Black and Gold went 3:18 without a bucket from the floor, before facing a seven-minute stint without a made basket from the end of the third into the start of the fourth. Freshman Stephanie Lesko's last-minute three ended the Bulldogs 4:02 field goal-less stretch to end the fourth.

GIVEAWAYS
The Bulldogs average 20.8 turnovers a game, giving up a season-high 25 at Pitt. The Black and Gold have coughed up the ball 20+ times on seven occasions. This season, the Bulldogs have given up 195 points off turnovers, allowing a season-high 31 against Maine. The Black and Gold tally 129 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 49-67, 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.

REBOUNDING MARGIN
For the fourth time this season, the Bulldogs average a single digit rebounding margin of +7.5 per game. The team's average places them first in the NEC and 49th nationally. In their best performance, Bryant out-rebounded Brown by 23, marking their highest rebounding differential since the 2014 season. The Bulldogs lost their first battle on the boards to Maine, 30-26.