Defense helps push Bulldogs over Fairleigh Dickinson, 65-48

HACKENSACK, N.J. – Sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) had 14 points and 10 rebounds and redshirt junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) scored 12 points and had four rebounds as the Bryant University women's basketball team topped the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights, 65-48, at the Statis Arena in Hackensack.

GAME INFORMATION

Bryant 65, Fairleigh Dickinson 48

Records: Bryant 3-12 (2-2 NEC), Fairleigh Dickinson 9-7 (1-3 NEC)
Location: Stratis Arena at the Rothman Center (Hackensack, N.J.)

COACH BURKE'S COMMENTS

"I really feel today that our defense went to the next level. I think it really carried us on the road to compete against a team that was one of the harder teams in the league. I can't say enough about our level of intensity – our ability to turn opposing players off, it was a really big step forward defensively. It allowed us to get easy baskets offensively.

"We got our offense from our great defense. It was nice to see that we got contributions from everyone. That's going to help us going forward, that everyone can step in and contribute."

KEY MOMENTS

• In the winding seconds of the first quarter, Holloway ripped down an offensive rebound and scored the putback layup to give the Bulldogs a two-point lead. Bryant would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Led by seven first-quarter points from Holloway and six from freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.), the Bulldogs were able to carry a two-point lead into the second quarter. The Bulldogs shot 46.7% from the floor in the first frame. Junior Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) hit a deep 3-pointer off the glass in the quarter.
• Bryant outscored FDU in the second quarter, 17-9, and had a 10-point advantage at the half, the team's largest halftime lead of the season. Five different players scored in the second half for the Bulldogs, including five from sophomore Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) and junior Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.).
• The Black and Gold started the third quarter on an 8-0 run to blow the game open. Ashley scored five points in the opening minutes of the quarter.
• The Bulldogs were able to win the fourth quarter, outscoring the Knights, 14-10. Sophomore Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) drilled a 3-pointer off of a helper from Scanlan at the 7:48 mark to give the Bulldogs a 16-point lead.

STATS

• Holloway earned her seventh double-double of the season in the win over the Knights. She had two last year as a freshman.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded the Knights, 38-32. Bryant also turned the ball over fewer times, just 15 compared to FDU's 16.
• FDU's Amina Markovic came into the game leading the Knights in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game. The Bryant defense held her to just 10 on Saturday.

GAME NOTES

• The game served as a homecoming for Lesko and Scanlan, who are both from Rumson, New Jersey.
• The starting lineup of Palmer, Ashley, Zegarowski, Scanlan, and Holloway is 2-0 this season, having also started last game versus Central Connecticut on Jan. 6.
• The Bulldogs earned nearly three times as many trips to the free throw line than the Knights. Bryant had 29 free throw attempts to FDU's 10.

UP NEXT

Bryant heads to Fairfield, Connecticut, on Monday for a 1 p.m. showdown with the Sacred Heart University Pioneers. The game will be streamed for free on NEC Front Row.