BULLDOGS HOST NEC FOE FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON MONDAY AT 7 P.M.

Game Notes

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team looks to bounce back on Monday night when they play host to Northeast Conference foe, Fairleigh Dickinson in a 7:00 p.m. matchup at the Chace Athletic Canter. The Bulldogs are 5-13 overall and 2-5 in conference play after falling to Monmouth, 62-42, Saturday afternoon. Tonight's game can be seen live on www.northeastconference.tv.

THE SERIES
Tonight's game will be the sixth meeting between the two programs since the Bulldogs made the transition to Division I in 2008. The first four matchups were split as each team held serve at home while the most recent bout came earlier this season on Dec. 9 when the Knights prevailed, 58-48 at the Rothman Center. Sophomore Danielle Douglas paced the Bulldogs with a game-high 19 points, including 16 in the second half, while Fairleigh Dickinson's Mariyah Laury scored 18 and Esther Wallace blocked seven shots.

BRYANT LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Danielle Douglas scored a team-high 12 points but the Bryant University women's basketball team could not erase an early Monmouth advantage as the Bulldogs fell, 62-42, Saturday afternoon in Northeast Conference action at the Chace Athletic Center.  

Monmouth (13-5, 5-2 NEC) was led offensively by Gabby Singer's 14 points and Alysha Womack's 12 tallies as an early 15-0 run in the opening half was enough to give the visitors the eventual victory. With the loss, Bryant dipped to 5-13 overall and 2-5 in conference play.

Senior Siamone Bennett (Newburgh, N.Y.) chipped in with eight points and eight rebounds for the home side. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 29 percent from the floor while the Hawks shot 38 percent from the field including eight 3-pointers.      

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson is 10-8 on the season and 3-4 in the Northeast Conference after falling at Central Connecticut, 57-29, Saturday afternoon at Detrick Gymnasium. As a team, the Knights are averaging 53.2 points per game and allowing 56.4 ppg. Junior Mariyah Laury leads the team with 14.9 points per game, ranking her second in the conference behind Samantha Leach (16.7 ppg) of Saint Francis (PA). Junior Esther Wallace is the team's top rebounder with 6.7 boards per contest and tops the conference with 2.5 blocks per game.

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs dipped to 2-5 in the NEC after falling to Monmouth for the team's first home conference loss at home this season. Bryant is now 2-1 at home and 0-4 on the road in conference play this winter. 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.  

TEACH ME HOW TO DOUG-LAS
Sophomore Danielle Douglas has come into her own this year as she leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 10.8 points per game. Douglas has paced the team offensively in eight out of 18 games this season, most recently against Monmouth on Saturday when she registered a team-high 12 points. She also tops the squad and ranks third in the conference with 2.38 steals per game. Douglas was impressive in Bryant's previous meeting with FDU earlier this season as she scored a career-high 19 points and recorded five steals in the loss at the Rothman Center.

AT THE LINE
Bryant recorded a season-low in made free throws against Monmouth on Saturday, hitting just five in the game out of 11 trips to the charity stripe. The season-low performance came one game after the Bulldogs made 18 free throws at Quinnipiac, the second-best mark for the team this season.   

49ers
The Bulldogs have won all three games this season in which they have kept the opposing team to 49 points or less, claiming victories over Holy Cross, St. Francis (NY) and Long Island. All three wins were also games played at the Chace Athletic Center.

COMMON DENOMINATOR
The Bulldogs and Knights have faced off against two non conference opponents this season in Lafayette and the United States Military academy of the Patriot League. While both Bryant and Fairleigh Dickinson fell to Lafayette, the two teams split against Army. The Bulldogs fell to the Black Knights, 66-55, while the Knights came out on top, 52-43.

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold remain at home for the next two contests, first hosting Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, Jan. 29 (1 PM) on Alumni Day and then taking on Wagner on Monday, Jan. 31 for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.