Bryant's team effort takes down the Mount, 77-59

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team steamrolled past Mount St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon with four Bulldogs posting either career or season-highs.

Four Bulldogs posted double-figure scoring led by Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) with 26 points. Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) was the second leading scorer with 13 points followed by Julia Kelner (Fayetteville, N.Y.) with a career-high 11 points and Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.) with 10.

GAME INFORMATION
Bryant 77, Mount St. Mary's 59
Records: Bryant 8-17 (6-8), Mount St. Mary's 12-13 (6-8)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

COACH BURKE COMMENTS

"I'm really excited about how we played," said head coach Mary Burke. "I thought our level of intensity and defensive ability and how we stuck to the game plan was huge. I really can't speak volumes on Monday and today about our level of intensity defensively and buying in. If we continue to go in this path, it'll be a huge key for us."

KEY MOMENT

• Bryant started the game with a lot of energy going on a 9-2 run to take the lead. The Bulldogs did not surrender their lead for the full 40 minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Kelner notched the first basket of the game followed by a give-and-go between Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.) and Meagan Bianchi (Brooklyn, Conn.) to fueling a 9-2 run to start the game.
• Bryant forced Mount St. Mary's to a 23.5 percent shooting percentage in the first quarter helping the Bulldogs shoot 52.9 percent.
• The scoring was even in the second quarter with neither team showing any sort of run.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded the Mountaineers, 8-6, in the second quarter scoring four points off second chances.  Mount St. Mary's did not score any second-chance points in the quarter.
• After the Mount scored the first basket of the half, Bryant went off on a 7-0 run led by Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) with a three to kick start Bryant's second half scoring.
• Senior Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) drained her lone three-pointer of the contest off a dish from Zegarowski to extend the Bulldogs to a 20-point lead, 56-36.
• The Mountaineers sent the Bulldogs to the foul line 18 times in the fourth quarter. The Black and Gold scored over half of their points from the charity stripe shooting 11-of-18 in the final quarter.
• At the 2:19 mark, Holloway drained a free throw to give Bryant its biggest lead of 22 points, 76-54.

STATS

• Holloway led with 26 points shooting 10-of-13 from the field. The junior also grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out an assist.
• Zegarowski tallied 13 points shooting three-of-13 from beyond arc.
• Kelner added 11 points shooting four-of-six while Scanlan chipped in 10 points shooting five-of-six.
• Palmer led the Black and Gold with 10 assists.
• LaFrance Boyce swiped a game-high five steals.
• Bryant outrebounded the Mount, 43-40.

GAME NOTES

• Palmer tied her season-high with 10 assists. The last time she dished out double-digit assists was against LIU Brooklyn in the conference opener.
• Kelner's 11 points was a career-high and the first time Kelner has scored double-figures. She was two rebounds shy of a double-double but compiled the most rebounds against an NEC foe with eight.
• Holloway's double-double is her 16^th of the season and 35^th of her career.
• LaFrance Boyce swiped a career-high with five steals.
• Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) dished out a season-high in assists with five.
• The Bulldogs posted their best shooting percentage of the year shooting 28-of-55 from the field for a 50.9 shooting percentage. Bryant also posted the most points its scored all season with 77.
• Coach Burke is now just two wins away from the 400 milestone.

UP NEXT
Bryant hits the road for Staten Island to meet with Wagner for the first time of the season. The game is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, February 25.