Posted: Feb 02, 2020

Bryant meets with Robert Morris in Monday night action

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Bryant University women's basketball team looks to give Robert Morris its first conference loss of the season on Monday, Feb. 3 at the UPMC Events Center in Moon Township. The Bulldogs tip-off at 7 p.m. on NEC Front Row.

THE MATCHUP
Bryant meets with the undefeated Robert Morris on Monday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the new UPMC Events Center. The Bulldogs look to grab their first-ever win in Moon Township as the Colonials hold a 12-0 mark over the Black and Gold on their home court. All-time, the two teams have met a total of 23 times with Robert Morris leading the way, 18-5.

SCOUTING THE COLONIALS
The Colonials are the only NEC squad to post a perfect 9-0 mark in conference play. As a team, Robert Morris leads the conference in multiple categories including assist to turnover ratio (0.86), field goal percentage defense (36.8), scoring defense (56.7), scoring margin (9.6), steals (221), three-point field goal defense (28.7), turnover margin (5.85), and turnovers forced (21.50).

Nneka Ezeigbo leads the Colonial and ranks sixth in the conference averaging 14.4 points per game. Ezeigbo is also the conference leader in rebounds with 168 so far on the year. On the defensive end, Isabelle Posset leads the conference with 50 steals, averaging 2.50 a night.

LAST TIME OUT: SAINT FRANCIS
Bryant's fourth-quarter push at Saint Francis wasn't enough as the Bulldogs erased a 14-point deficit to get within three with 1:30 left to go in the game. The Red Flash held on to down the Bulldogs, 64-58. Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) and Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) led with 14 points each while Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.) added 10. Despite the setback, Bryant posted a season-low of just eight turnovers marking the first time the Black and Gold posted single-digits in that category during the 2019-20 season.

ON THE RISE
Holloway became Bryant's leading scorer in its Division I era surpassing Breanna Rucker '16. Rucker's previously held record was set at 1,395 points, but Holloway's seven-point performance against UMass Lowell put her over the edge at 1,401 career points on Dec. 2. Holloway is currently 8 rebounds away from 1,000 where she is en route to becoming the third player in Bryant's D1 history to achieve 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

SECOND HALF DAWGS
The Bulldogs outscored both Brown and Albany in the second half to come back from a halftime deficit during the first two wins this season. Bryant trailed Brown by two after the first half in the season opener before outscoring the Bears 21-18 to grab its first win of the season. Then against Albany, the Bulldogs came back from a seven-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Great Danes 46-26 in the second half for a 68-55 victory. At Mount St. Mary's, Bryant erased a 15-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Mount 40-31 in the second half to make a comeback before dropping a 76-70 decision. Most recently at Saint Francis, the Bulldogs cut into the Red Flash's 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs cut the lead to three with 1:30 to go in the game before falling, 64-58. The Black and Gold outscored SFU, 34-30, in the second half.

ROAD DAWGS
Three of Bryant's five wins this season have come on the road including its first win of the season at Brown. The Bulldogs were unable to grab a home win until late December when they hosted Albany in a 68-55 decision. Two of Bryant's three conference victories also came on the road. The Black and Gold averages 62.5 points per game when tabbed as the away team as compared to the 52.6 points per game that they put up in the Chace.