Bulldogs secure spot in NEC tournament following 85-70 win over Red Flash

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team booked its ticket to the NEC postseason in an impressive manner, as five Bulldogs finished in double figures in the team's 85-70 win over Saint Francis U. on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (13-13, 8-7 NEC) were clicking on all cylinders in the annual Play 4 Kay game, as they scored a season-high 85 points, while five players finished in double figures for the second time this season. Senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) led the way with 18 points off a 5-for-11 mark from the floor and 8-for-10 shooting from the line. Classmate Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) recorded her second double-double of the season off 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Sophomore Kierra Palmer's (Aberdeen, Md.) earned her first-career double-double off 12 points and 14 assists, which ties the program's Division I record set by Palmer last year. The point guard shot 50.0 percent from the floor, charity stripe and behind the arc. Freshman Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) totaled 14 points, drilling a career-high four threes. Sophomore Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) added three triples of her own, as she finished with 11 points.

The Bulldogs hit a season-best 11 threes, as they finished 47.8 percent from behind the arc. The Black and Gold finished 46.0 percent from the floor and 64.0 percent from the line. Jessica Kovatch led the Red Flash (13-13, 10-5) with 23 points, while the visitors shot 45.9 percent from the floor, 18.2 percent from three and 71.4 percent from the line. Bryant won the battle on the boards, 44-31, while also dishing out 22 assists to Saint Francis U.'s eight.  

The Red Flash came out playing fast, as head coach Joe Haigh began subbing in five players at a time to keep players' legs fresh and the tempo upbeat. The strategy played well for the Red Flash, as they took an 8-2 lead, following a three by Maya Wynn with 6:42 to play in the first. The Bulldogs, under the direction of head coach Mary Burke, were able to find an answer, powering their way to a 13-10 lead at the 3:15 mark. The Bulldogs' advantage came in the wake of an 11-2 run, including a triple from Connors. The Black and Gold's tough defense and accuracy at the line helped Bryant to a 19-15 edge at the end of the opening period.

The Bulldogs continued to execute in the second, as Palmer and Connors drilled back-to-back buckets from downtown, elevating Bryant to its first double-figure lead of the day, 27-15. The Red Flash didn't score a field goal for nearly five minutes and the Bulldogs continued to pick apart the Red Flash's zone by knocking down outside shots. Zegarowski connected from three, before Connors hit her third triple of the game and senior Chanel Ramcharran (Pickering, Ont.) knocked one down from deep to give Bryant a 40-20 lead with two minutes to play in the quarter. Following a 9-0 run by the Red Flash, Palmer hit the Bulldogs' eighth basket from behind the arc, giving Bryant a 43-29 lead at the break.

After the Red Flash opened the second half with more pressure, they were able to cut the Bulldogs' lead back to single digits, 46-38, following jumper from Jessica Zezza with 6:40 to play. Bryant responded with back-to-back scoring possessions, including a transition no-look pass from Palmer to Klein for the three-point play and another Bryant three, this time from Olander. The Black and Gold closed out the third on a 9-0 run, after Palmer scored a layup as the clock expired, marking her first-career double-double.

After a 9-2 run by the Red Flash to open the fourth, the Bulldogs scored on consecutive possessions, including a three by Zegarowski to give Bryant back a double-figure lead, 72-59, midway through the quarter. The rookie's triple was in part of Bryant's 18-11 run to close out the quarter, as the Bulldogs handed the Red Flash their third-straight loss, 85-70.

With three games to play, the postseason-bound Bulldogs face Robert Morris on Monday at 8 p.m. on ESPN3.