Bryant meets with SFU for quarterfinals
LORETTO, PA. – The Bryant University women's basketball team meets with Saint Francis U on Monday night for the quarterfinal round of the Northeast Conference Tournament.
THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Saint Francis U
Location: Degol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)
Date and Time: Monday, March 11 – 7 p.m.
TV: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #AllHeart #AllHustle | #NECWBB
THE MATCHUP
Bryant travels to Loretto, Pa. for the quarterfinal round of the NEC Tournament on Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs finished the regular season in the five spot and are set to meet with No. 4 Saint Francis U.
SCOUTING THE RED FLASH
The Red Flash posts an 11-7 conference record entering the post season after recently falling to Robert Morris, 66-53.
Jess Kovatch leads Saint Francis scoring 21.2 points a night earning top national ranks. Kovatch is ninth in the country with a total of 637 points on they year. Senior Courtney Zezzan stands at 6'4 in the paint and ranks third in the country with 84 blocked shots.
SERIES HISTORY
Bryant split with the Red Flash earlier this season taking the first meeting in Smithfield, 66-63, before falling in Loretto, 78-66.
Monday's game marks the first time the two teams have seen each other in the post season.
LAST TIME OUT: BRYANT 76, WAGNER 73
Bryant topped Wagner, 76-73, in a fourth-quarter thriller for senior night to clinch the fifth seed of the NEC Tournament.
Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) intercepted a pass and drove all the way to the rim for the game-winning basket with under 10 seconds to go.
Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) led with 20 points along with Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) and Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) who each chipped in 14 points.
400
Head Coach Mary Burke reached the 400 win milestone on Monday, March 4 at LIU Brooklyn. The Bulldogs topped the Blackbirds, 69-54.
ON THE RISE
Holloway has continued to climb the Division I scoring ranks at Bryant jumping eight spots already this year. She has surpassed Jenniqua Bailey and Naana Ankoma-Mensa for the second spot. Holloway reached the 1,000 point milestone on 12/30 against Holy Cross becoming the fastest player in Bryant women's basketball Division I history to do so.
20/20 VISION
Holloway has posted two 20/20 games this season against Brown (11/8) and St. Francis Brooklyn (1/7). Holloway has also posted ten 20-point games and an added 20-rebound performance during Bryant's second meeting with Brown (12/1). The junior posted three back-to-back-to-back 20-point games against conference foes Central Connecticut (20), Fairleigh Dickinson (20), and the second meeting with Central Connecticut (27). Holloway was one point shy of breaking her career-record posting 29 points at LIU Brooklyn. She followed up with another 20-point performance over Wagner.
WATCH ME WHIP, WATCH ME NAY NAY
Ashley has proven that she is more than just a defensive player. Ashley has recorded double-figure scoring for four games in a row (CCSU, RMU, SFU and FDU). On the boards, the fifth-year player led with 10 rebounds against FDU and was just two points shy of her second double-double of the year. When Bryant traveled to Wagner, Ashley had a monster game scoring a career-high 28 points, marking the most points a Bulldog has scored this season. The Ontario native had an all around performance with five rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block in 39 minutes of play. When Wagner visited Smithfield for the last regular season game of the year, Ashley made a game-winning steal and layup to help Bryant pass Wagner, 76-73, on senior night.
UP NEXT
The winner of the game on Monday will compete in the semifinals on Thursday, March 14.