Bryant begins NEC play with Wagner on Friday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University women's basketball begins conference play on Friday when the team hosts the Wagner College Seahawks for a noon tip-off at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield.

THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Wagner College
Game Time: Friday, Dec. 29 – Noon
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Bryant Bulldogs
Tickets: Purchase
Game Notes: Wagner | Bryant

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner enters Friday's game with a 2-9 record on the season. This will also be the first conference matchup for the Seahawks.

Sierra Clark leads Wagner in nearly every major statistical category. Clark averages 16.6 points and has been dominant on the glass, grabbing an average of 8.2 boards per game. She is the only Seahawk to start in every game this season.

The Seahawks are coached by Heather Jacobs, who is in the middle of her second season at Wagner. Since taking over the program, Jacobs has led the team to a 6-44 record.

SERIES HISTORY vs. WAGNER
The Bulldogs boast a 14-1 series lead over the Seahawks, including wins in each of the last six meetings between the two schools.

NOTHING CAN STOP ME, I'M HOLLOWAY UP
After being named to the NEC All-Rookie team last season, sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) started up right where she left off at Brown, where she led Bryant with 19 points and nine rebounds. Holloway has earned double-doubles on four occasions this year, last versus Hartford in a 15-point, 10-rebound performance against the Hawks. As a freshman, Holloway had two double-doubles in 32 games. She has four in just 11 outings as a sophomore.

BUDDING STAR
After a breakout season in 2016-17, redshirt junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) 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. The highlight of Ashley's season came at Holy Cross when the red-shirt junior had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 9 steals against the Crusaders. Ashley has posted averages of 9.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals as a redshirt junior.

DROPPING DIMES
Junior Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) 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 fourth in the NEC with 3.6 per game.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Sydney Holloway and Naomi Ashley have been a dynamic duo over Bryant's first 10 games this season. Either Holloway or Ashley has been the leading scorer or rebounder in nine of the team's 11 games.

SCANNING THE BOARDS
Freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.) has been a key part of the team for the Bulldogs this season. The Rumson, New Jersey, native has posted two double-scoring games and has two double rebound performances. Scanlan put up 13 points vs. Boston University in the Bulldogs' home opener. In the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament Championship, she pulled down 11 rebounds versus Brown.

WOMAN OF STEAL
In a two-point overtime defeat at Holy Cross, Naomi Ashley 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. Ashley had another big theft game vs. Rhode Island, coming away with six steals vs. the Rams in the first round of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament.

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 starting with Wagner on Dec. 29.

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
Bryant finished 11-7 in NEC regular-season games last season, which was the fourth-straight season finishing above .500 in conference play. In home games versus NEC opponents, Bryant was 8-1 last season and is 31-20 inside the Chace Athletic Center in the regular season going back the previous five seasons.

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 3.4 points per game this season, setting new career highs in points on two occasions. Versus Brown in the team's second game of the season, Everson scored 10 points against the Bears.

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, 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.