Bryant kicks off 2019-20 season at Brown
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The 2019-20 season has finally arrived as the Bryant University women's basketball team takes the floor against in-state foe Brown on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in Providence.
THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: Brown
Location: Pizzitola Sports Center (Providence, R.I.)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Watch Live: ESPN+
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #AllHeart #AllHustle | #NECWBB
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Last season, the Bears finished 9-21 overall, winning just one game in Ivy League play. Brown topped Yale, 86-71, in the conference opener in Providence before enduring a 13-game losing streak to close out the season. Brown graduated two of its top three scorers in Shayna Mehta and Erika Steeves, but bring back its leading-scorer in Justine Gaziano. Gaziano is the only player to drop 30+ points against the Bulldogs last season as she notched 35 in the teams' second meeting. Brown adds five rookies to the squad, including three guards and two forwards.
SERIES HISTORY VS. BROWN
The two teams met twice in 2018-19 and split as the Bulldogs took the first meeting, 75-57, before dropping the second, 84-68, in the opening round of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament. All-time, Bryant leads by a small 7-6 margin and leads 3-2 on Brown's home court.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
The Bulldogs welcome six new faces who are all true freshmen. Nicole Gallagher (Foxboro, Mass.), Alana Perkins (Wauwatosa, Wis.), Shannon O'Connor (Wrentham, Mass.), and Taylor McNamara (Millville, Mass.) will contribute at the guard position, while Blanca Chasco (Barcelona, Spain) and Abbie Eads (Petersburg, Va.) add height to the Bulldog roster at the center and forward positions.
SEEING DOUBLE
Senior forward Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) was named First Team All-NEC last season for the second consecutive season after averaging 17.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 assists per game. For the second year in a row, Holloway was one of two conference players to average a double-double, which ranked her 17th nationally. The senior also earned a top-10 national rank (7) for her average of four offensive boards a game last season.
ZEGA-WHO?
Senior guard Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) was a major contributor for the Bulldogs last year during conference play. In Bryant's conference opener against LIU Brooklyn, Zegarowski posted a season-high 16 points. The Massachusetts native was one point shy from tying her season-high for the second time last season as she scored 15 points at FDU shooting 7-of-11 from the field. Zegarowski posted her best three-point shooting game tallying 4-of-5 from beyond the arc at Robert Morris totaling for 12 points. The senior guard posted double-figure scoring in 11-of-19 conference games and averaged 9.4 points per game last season against NEC opponents.
BRAVO!
Sophomore Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) started seeing more minutes as the conference schedule progressed last season. Brava had a career game against Saint Francis U posting six points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes of play. Bravo grabbed the second-most rebounds at Fairleigh Dickinson with six. The sophomore averaged 12.2 minutes per game against Northeast Conference opponents in 2018-19.
BOARDING SCHOOL
Bryant finished first in the NEC with 41.03 rebounds per game and first in the conference with 14.6 offensive rebounds per game, and a .696 defensive rebounds percentage. The Black and Gold was also one of three NEC squads to post a positive rebound margin with 4.1 ranking second in the conference.
NUMBER CHANGES
Both Trinity Bravo and Meagan Bianchi (Brooklyn, Conn.) changed numbers after their first season with the Black and Gold. Bravo wore number 15 last year and will wear number 23 in the 2019-20 season. Bianchi wore number 10 in 2018-19 and is now number 5 this season.
#ALLHEART #ALLHUSTLE
Bryant came up with a motto for the 2018-19 season that directly correlates with how the Bulldogs take the floor during every game.
TICKET TO RIDE
Season ticket packages are available for the 2019-20 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.
UP NEXT: NEW HAMPSHIRE
After Bryant meets with Brown on Tuesday, the Bulldogs return to Smithfield for the first home game of the season. The home opener welcomes New Hampshire on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 1 p.m.