Bulldogs comeback effort not enough against Mount

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team erased a 15-point halftime deficit in the second half, but the comeback wasn't enough as Mount St. Mary's came out on top, 76-70, on Saturday afternoon.

Three Bulldogs posted 12 points in Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.), Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.), and Nicole Gallagher (Foxboro, Mass.). Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) trailed with 10 points but led the team with six assists and four steals to go along with six rebounds.

GAME INFORMATION
Mount St. Mary's 76, Bryant 70
Records: Bryant (3-12, 1-3) | Mount St. Mary's (8-7, 3-0)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

KEY MOMENT

• Mount St. Mary's jumped to a 15-point lead after the first half after a big second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs, 24-11.
• Bryant crawled its way back into the game in the third quarter with a 13-0 run to get within four.
• The Bulldogs were unable to break through in the fourth quarter getting as close as three with 18 seconds to go, but the Mountaineers iced the game with three free throws to close out regulation, 76-70.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mount St. Mary's came out aggressive to start the game taking off on a 6-0 run before the Bulldogs were able to get on the board when Holloway got fouled on an attempted put-back.
• Holloway helped cut the Mountaineers lead to just two at the end of the first quarter when Taylor swung the ball to Holloway at the top of the key for a buzzer-beating three, 21-19.
• The Mountaineers committed seven fouls in the first quarter to send the Bulldogs to the line 12 times. Bryant went 10-of-12 from the line netting 10 of its 19 first-quarter points from the stripe.
• At the 8:04 mark in the second quarter, the Mountaineer's Aryna Taylor sank a three to a spark an 11-0 run to help give them a 12-point cushion before the media timeout, 38-26.
• Mount St. Mary's showed why they're the top three-point shooting team in the NEC by shooting five-of-nine from beyond the arc in the second frame.
• Bravo dumped the ball off to Bjelko at the 7:40 mark to start the second half to send the Bulldogs off on a 13-0 run and erasing an 18-point deficit, 50-46.
• Holloway and Bravo netted three-of-four from the line to put Bryant within one, but the Mountaineers hit one at the line before the end of the third, 54-52.
• Bryant would get within two points on three different occasions in the fourth quarter but was unable to keep the Mountaineers off the glass in order to breakthrough. Mount St. Mary's outrebounded the Bulldogs, 11-7 in the fourth quarter with five coming from the offensive ends. The Mountaineers grabbed eight second-chance points as an outcome.

STATS

• Bravo stuffed the stat sheet filling every category with 10 points, six rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
• Gallagher, LaFrance Boyce, and Bjelko all led with 12 points each.
• Holloway finished the game with nine points, six rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
• Kandis Taylor (Sunrise, Fla.) and Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) each tallied six points and three steals apiece.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded Mount St. Mary's, 35-30.
• Bryant shot 38.9 percent from the field shooting 21-for-54.

GAME NOTES

• As a team, Bryant posted season-highs in assists (16), steals (13), and free throw percentage netting 24-of-30.
• Bryant is now 12-10 all-time against the Mountaineers and 7-5 all-time in Smithfield.

UP NEXT: Long Island
The Bulldogs take the week off and are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 18 when they host Long Island in another Bryant basketball doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.