BULLDOGS HOST MONMOUTH IN NEC ACTION SATURDAY AT 1 PM

Game Notes

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team kicks off a four-game home stand on Saturday, Jan. 22 when the Bulldogs welcome Northeast Conference foe Monmouth to the Chace Athletic Center at 1:00 p.m. Fans can catch all the action through either 'live stats' on www.bryantbulldogs.com or a live webcast on www.bryantbulldogs.tv.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the fifth meeting ever between the Bulldogs and Hawks as the two programs have meet ever season since Bryant made the transition to Division I in 2008. The all-time series is even at two games apiece with both of Bryant's wins coming last season including a 63-50 victory at the Chace Athletic Center. The teams last met earlier this season on Jan. 5 when the host Hawks prevailed, 57-39, despite double-figure scoring efforts from senior Siamone Bennett and sophomore Danielle Douglas. 

BRYANT LAST TIME OUT
Down by 16 points at halftime, the Bryant University women's basketball team came out strong in the second stanza and chipped the Quinnipiac lead down to four, but it would not be enough as the Bulldogs fell, 85-74, in Northeast Conference action Jan. 17 at the TD Bank Sports Center.  

The Bulldogs were down by as many as 20 points during the opening 20 minutes until a 3-point play from Brittany Stahura pulled the visitors to within four, 58-54, with 11:14 left in the second half but the home side would eventually extend their lead and go on to claim the win.  

Bryant (5-12, 2-4 NEC) was led by sophomore Meredith Soper who scored 11 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa scored a team-high 15 points and sophomore Danielle Douglas recorded 12 tallies. Sophomore Katie Whittington and Brittany Stahura added 10 points each to round out the double-figure scorers for the visitors.

Felicia Barron scored a game-high 22 points for Quinnipiac (8-9, 5-1 NEC) while senior Courtney Kaminski added 21 points and six boards. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 41.9 percent on 26-for-62 shooting from the floor, including 48.6 percent in the second half.  

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Monmouth is 12-5 on the season and 4-2 in Northeast Conference play after downing reigning NEC champion Saint Francis (PA), 75-68, Jan. 17 at DeGol Arena. Abby Martin led the offensive attack with 15 points and eight rebounds to pace a total of five Hawks in double-figures. As a team, the Hawks are averaging 61.8 points per game and allowing 57.0 ppg. Sophomore Alysha Womack leads the club with 14.2 points per game, ranking her fourth in the conference in scoring, while Martin is the team's top rebounder with 7.5 boards per contest.

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs dipped to 2-4 in the NEC after back-to-back losses to Connecticut rivals, Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac last week. Bryant is now 2-0 at home and 0-4 on the road in conference play this season. Now in their third year at the Division I level, the Bulldogs have put together a 17-16 record against members of the Northeast Conference since 2008. In two years, Bryant has yet to have a losing record against the NEC after going 6-6 in its inaugural DI season and 10-8 last winter. Additionally, the Bulldogs closed out the NEC slate in strong fashion last season, winning nine out of their final 15 contests.  

SUPER SOPER
Meredith Soper enjoyed a solid performance against Quinnipiac, netting 11 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. She also chipped in with four assists and a pair of steals for the all-around effort after pacing the team with 12 points at Sacred Heart on Saturday, Jan. 15. She now leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game, ranks third with 9.4 points per game and is one of three Bryant players to start and play in every game this season.          

OH, CANADA
Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa posted a team-high 15 points at Quinnipiac to mark the second time she has led the team in scoring this season, scoring six at Syracuse, while she also scored 15 points at Lafayette on Nov. 14. Ankoma-Mensa ranks fifth on the team, and first among rookies, with 5.2 points per game. She also ranks fourth on the team with 4.8 boards per contest in 14 appearances this season.  

HOME COOKING
The Black and Gold should be excited to return to the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center as the team has won their last four games played at their home gym, including a pair of conference victories over St. Francis (NY) and Long Island. Overall, the Bulldogs are 4-2 at home this season and 1-9 on the road. 

HOGAN'S HEROES
The Bryant bench has made an impact in several games this season, most recently at Quinnipiac on Jan. 17 when the Bulldog reserves outscored their Bobcat counterparts by a margin of 25-7. Freshman Naana Ankoma-Mensa led the attack with 15 points off the bench in 29 minutes of game action.   

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold return to Northeast Conference action on Monday, Jan. 24 when they play host to Fairleigh Dickinson at 7:00 p.m. From there, the Bulldogs round out the month with back-to-back home games against Mount St. Mary's and Wagner, respectively.