Bulldogs continue road trip with Monday clash at Sacred Heart

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Bryant The Bryant University women's basketball team continues its road trip as the Bulldogs head to Fairfield to take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers Monday at 1 p.m. inside the Pitt Center.

THE PARTICULARS

Opponent: Sacred Heart University
Game Time: Monday, Jan. 15 – 1 p.m.
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sacred Heart
Tickets: Purchase
Game Notes: Bryant | Sacred Heart

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart comes into Monday's game with a 6-10 record and have a 2-3 mark in NEC play. The Pioneers fell in their last game, 69-59, to Central Connecticut on Saturday.

Four players average double-figures in scoring for the Pioneers, with Katherine Haines leading the way with 14.2 points. She is the NEC leader in rebounding average, posting up 10.4 boards per game.

SHU is coached by Jessica Mannetti, who is in her fifth season at the university. Mannetti has led the Pioneers to a 71-69 record overall since taking over.

SERIES HISTORY vs. SACRED HEART
This is the 19th meeting between the two schools, with SHU holding a 14-4 advantage over Bryant. In the last game between the two rivals, Bryant topped Sacred Heart in the 2017 Northeast Conference semifinal to punch its ticket to the team's first-ever NEC Championship.

NOTHING CAN STOP ME, I'M HOLLOWAY UP
In just her sophomore season, Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) has been one of the premiere players in the conference. The Morgantown, West Virginia, native is currently third in the conference in scoring (16.5 ppg), second in rebounding (9.4 rpg) and 10th in blocks (0.9 bpg). She set a career-high in scoring with 28 points versus Central Connecticut on Jan. 6 and has posted seven double-doubles this season, which ranks 48th nationally.

AY NAY NAY
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. 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 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 steals as a redshirt junior, all career bests

SCANNING THE RECORD BOOK
Freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.) scored 27 points in the Northeast Conference opener vs. Wagner. The 27 points were the most-ever by a freshman in the program's Division I era.

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. She collected her 100th career steal in the NEC opener vs. Wagner on Dec. 29.

BJELKO BUSTS OUT
Freshman Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) played 29 minutes versus Mount St. Mary's and set career highs in points (12), rebounds (14), assists (2), field goals (3) and made free throws (6). Against the Mountaineers, Bjelko secured her first career double-double. In her next conference game, Bjelko scored 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds versus Central Connecticut.

SCANLAN DOWN LOW
Freshman Hannah Scanlan has posted averages of 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs in her first collegiate season. In NEC play, Scanlan has been dominant, averaging 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

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 set 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).

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 women'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.