Bulldogs drop heartbreaking loss to Colonials, 65-52, in Sunday afternoon's NEC Championship

MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. – Despite trailing Robert Morris, 33-16, at the half, the Bryant University basketball team never gave up, pulling within eight, 51-43, with four minutes to play, but the hole proved to be too deep as the No. 1-seeded Colonials booked their ticket to the big dance with a 65-52 victory over the No. 4-seeded Bulldogs.

"I am super proud of my players and the effort they put forward," said head coach Mary Burke. "I felt we battled, especially in the second half after struggling in the first. We had great effort and gave everything we had which is prototypical of who we are. I have a lot of respect for our program and the players that were fighting the battle."

The Bulldogs (18-14, 11-7 NEC) outscored the Colonials (22-10, 14-4), 23-19, in the fourth quarter. In the wake of the Black and Gold's 14-5 run to start the final period, the Bulldogs closed a 17-point gap to eight, 51-43, with 4:04 to play. Sophomore Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) scored four points in the run, as she finished with 13 of her team-high 16 points in the second half. Palmer and junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) combined for nine points in the first six minutes of the final quarter, as both brought the Bryant faithful to their feet with three-point plays at the line.

After three scoreless minutes from the floor, junior center Mikalah Mulrain finished the and-one at the line, pushing the hosts' lead back to double figures, 54-43, with 3:20 to go in the NEC Title game. The two teams exchanged fouls down the stretch, as RMU finished 8-for-10 from the chalk and the Bulldogs 3-for-5. Junior forward Megan Smith stroked a three with 1:20 to play, extending the Colonials' lead to 14, 62-48, while NEC Player of the Year and two-time tournament MVP Anna Niki Stamolamprou's pair of free throws threw the exclamation on the Colonials' second-straight NEC Championship.

After shooting just 14.3 percent in the second quarter, the Bulldogs recovered, finishing the game with a 30.6 percent mark from the floor. Bryant went 3-for-17 from behind the arc and 11-for-15 from the line. Robert Morris shot 44.7 percent from the floor, 46.7 percent from the line and 76.2 percent from the chalk.

Palmer led the Bulldogs with 16 points, finishing with a 5-for-13 mark from the floor, 2-for-6 clip from deep and 4-for-5 tally at the line. Senior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) and Ashley were the only other Bulldogs to finish in double figures, as Ashley put up 14 and Olander 11. Both were named to the NEC All-Tournament Team, combining for an 11-for-27 mark from the floor and 13 of the team's 37 rebounds.

Stamolamprou led all scorers with 23 points, shooting 7-for-17 from the field, 1-for-3 from behind the arc and 8-for-8 from the stripe. Senior Rebecca Navarro hit two threes, finishing with 12 points, while Smith's 3-for-6 mark from deep helped the NEC Third Teamer to 11 points and a place on the all-tournament team.

The Black and Gold won the battle on the boards, 37-25, including 13 on the offensive glass. Ashley and NEC First Teamer senior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) led the Bulldogs with nine rebounds, respectively. Ashley's game-high six offensive rebounds not only tied RMU's total offensive boards as a team, but also helped the Bulldogs to 10 second-chance points. Stamolamprou led the Colonials with nine rebounds of her own, while also dishing out a game-high five assists in 40 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs opened the game with four-straight points from Ashley and Olander combined, before the Colonials went on an 18-3 run. Klein's jumper with 31 seconds to play in the opening frame snapped the Bulldogs' five-minute dry spell, before Palmer hit a half-court shot as the first quarter expired, narrowing RMU's edge to six, 18-12.

The second quarter was dominated by the Colonials as they held Bryant to a season-low four points, outscoring the No. 4 seed, 15-4, in the stanza. RMU closed out the second quarter on a 12-0 run, holding the Bulldogs scoreless for 7:18 to take a commanding, 33-16, lead at the break.

The Colonials opened the second half with two-straight buckets, helping the team to a game-high 17-unanswered points. During the run that stretched across two quarters, Stamolamprou scored seven of the team's 17 points, including a three that lifted the hosts to a game-high 22-point advantage, 38-16, with 8:59 to play in the third.

Klein's elbow jumper cut the deficit to 20, 38-18, and put an end to Bryant's 9:32 dry spell over the course of the second and third period. After Klein knocked the lid off the rim, the Bulldogs shot 33.3 percent in the third quarter and tied the Colonials in scoring, 13-13, with the help of a 7-0 run late in the frame. Palmer accounted for five of the seven points in the run, including a triple that pulled the Bulldogs within 14, 43-29, with 27 ticks on the clock in the third.

Starring down a 17-point deficit at the start of the fourth, the Bulldogs fought to within eight, 51-43, with 4:04 to play, following two 5-0 runs. Stamolamprou went 6-for-6 from the line in the final three minutes, helping the Colonials survive and capture the NEC Title, 65-52, on Sunday afternoon.

"Just to be in this moment was a positive step forward for our program" said Burke. "Unfortunately, we fell a little bit short to very good and experienced team in Robert Morris. I have a lot of respect for them: the players and coaches."

The Colonials will represent the NEC in their second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and will await Selection Monday to find out who they draw in the first round of the big dance.