URI, Bryant to meet in Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University women's basketball will participate in the second annual Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, held at Providence College, this weekend when the team takes on the University of Rhode Island Rams on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be played at PC's Alumni Hall.

Last season in the event's first running, the Bulldogs won the consolation game against the Rams, 62-56. Now-junior Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) and current sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) accounted for 30 points, 10 rebounds, eight steals and five assists in that game.

THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: University of Rhode Island
Game Time: Saturday, Dec. 2 – 2:00 p.m.
Watch Live: YurView (COX 4 & 1004 HD) / Friars.com ($)
Live Stats: Friars.com
Tickets: Purchase
Game Notes: Rhode Island | Bryant

SCOUTING THE RAMS
The Rams head into the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament with a 1-4 overall record and are currently on a four-game losing streak. URI last played Dartmouth on the road, losing to the Big Green, 70-54.

Abby Streeter is URI's leading scorer entering the weekend tournament, averaging 10.2 points in the team's opening five games. Streeter scored a season-high 17 points in the team's win over UMass Lowell on Nov. 10.

Meghan Oberg is the team's leading rebounder, averaging six boards per game. Oberg has also been a contributor to the Ram offense, averaging five points a contest for Rhode Island.

The Rams are coached by Daynia La-Force, who is in her fourth year with the program. La-Force has led URI to a 36-58 record during her time in Kingston.

SERIES HISTORY vs. RHODE ISLAND
URI boasts a 3-2 all-time series lead over the Bulldogs. The teams last met in last year's iteration of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, with Bryant coming away victorious in the consolation game.

SERIES HISTORY vs. PROVIDENCE & BROWN
Bryant will play either Providence or Brown on Sunday. The Friars hold a 6-1 series lead -- 3-1 in the Division I era -- over the Bulldogs. Brown holds a 6-4 record in the Division I era over Bryant, with the teams having met earlier this season.

NOTHING CAN STOP ME, I'M HOLLOWAY UP
After being named to the NEC All-Rookie team last season, sopho­more Sydney Holloway started up right where she left off at Brown, where she led Bryant with 19 points and nine rebounds. Holloway has earned double-doubles in two of the team's last four games, in­cluding a 24-point, 12-rebound performance at Holy Cross on Nov. 26. Holloway had two double-doubles in her freshman season, al­ready reaching that mark as a sophomore.

BUDDING STAR
After a breakout season in 2016-17, Naomi Ashley has been a force for the Bryant Bulldogs through the early stages of the season. Ashley was a rebound shy of a double-double against Boston College, going for 12 points and nine rebounds. In the team's second game, Ashley scored eight points and pulled down six boards off the glass, also coming away with three steals.

DROPPING DIMES
Kierra Palmer led the NEC in assists last season, to­taling 155 on the season (4.8/game). In 2017-18, Palm­er had a season-best nine assists when the University of New Hampshire Wildcats visited the Chace Athletic Center on Nov. 21. She currently 2nd in the NEC with 4.3 per game.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Sydney Holloway and Naomi Ashley have been a dynamic duo over Bryant's first five games this sea­son. Either Holloway or Ashley has been the leading scorer or rebounder in five of the team's six games.

WOMAN OF STEAL
In a two-point overtime defeat at Holy Cross, Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) set a Bryant Division I program record for steals in a game with nine. She bested the previous best of eight set by Danielle Douglas in the 2010-2011 season. The program record belongs to Beth Connealy (now Wandyes), who had 10 in a game versus Springfield in 1995.

BAKERS DOZEN
Bryant will play 13 regular-season home games, beginning with the home opener against New Hampshire on Nov. 21. They also host Boston University (Nov. 29), Binghamton (Dec. 7), and Hartford (Dec. 10), as well as all NEC opponents.

POWER FIVE DRAW
When Bryant opened the season at Boston College, it marked the eighth time over the past five years that the Bulldogs have played a team in one of the Power-5 conferences. Last season, Bryant played at Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and Providence and opened the season at Seton Hall in 2015.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Bryant is scheduled to play six schools that made national postseason appearances last season. Robert Morris received a bid into the NCAA Tournament, while Sacred Heart, New Hampshire and James Madison all participated in the WNIT. Saint Francis U and Brown were both selected to participate in the WBI.

EVERSON NAMED CAPTAIN
Bryant senior Kathleen Everson (Farmingville, N.Y.) was named a captain ahead of the 2017-18 season by head coach Mary Burke. Everson, a forward from Farmingville, New York, has averaged 5.4 points per game this season, setting new career highs in points on two occasions.

OCEAN STATE OF MIND
Of the four Division I schools in Rhode Island, Bryant has had the highest win total over the past five seasons. Bryant has collected 75 wins over the past five seasons, which is 21 more than the next highest total (Brown).

BRYANT ADDS TWO
Bryant University women's basketball added two future Bulldogs during the early signing period, receiving National Letters of Intent from Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Alexandra Hart (Saco, Maine).

TICKET TO RIDE
Season ticket packages are available for the 2017-18 Bryant University men's and women's basketball seasons. Fans can pur­chase tickets online at bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or by calling the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-319-TIXX.

FRONT ROW SEAT
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference are once again affiliated with the Pack Network and NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2017-18 athletic seasons, includ­ing live, free-of-charge, and high-definition broadcasts of all Bulldog home men's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard, state-of-the-art graphics and DVR functionality. Visit NECFrontRow.com for more information and a complete schedule of events.