BULLDOGS HOST SACRED HEART SATURDAY AT 5:30 P.M.

Game Notes / Follow Game Live With Cover It Live Blog

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team looks to salvage a split in the season series against Northeast Conference foe Sacred Heart as the Bulldogs play host to the Pioneers on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Bryant currently stands at 8-17 on the season and 5-9 in conference play after dropping a pair of home-and-home games to Central Connecticut in the NEC's New England Knockout series last week. Fans can follow all the game action through live stats at www.bryantbulldogs.com or watch a live webcast at www.bryantbulldogs.tv.   

THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 14th meeting all-time between the two programs as the Bulldogs and Pioneers have a squared off nine times at the Division II level before Sacred Heart made the jump to D-1 in 1999. The Bulldogs currently hold a 7-6 lead in the series but have dropped the last four matchups, all at the D-1 level, including a 54-44 loss on Jan. 15 of this season at the William H. Pitt Center. Junior Callan Taylor paced Sacred Heart in the matchup as she poured in 26 points and 16 rebounds for the double-double while Meredith Soper led the way for the Bulldogs with 12 points.

PREVIOUSLY, IN THE NEC
Trailing by 14 with 6:29 left in the second half, the Bryant University women's basketball team mustered a late run to cut the lead to four but it would not be enough as the Bulldogs fell to Central Connecticut, 61-53, in the finale of the Northeast Conference's rivalry week Monday night at Detrick Gymnasium.

Bryant (8-17, 5-9 NEC) was led offensively by sophomores Meredith Soper, who had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Danielle Douglas, who also had 12 and added seven boards. Freshman Krista Ferrentino chipped in off the bench with eight points and seven rebounds.  

Justina Udenze paced Central Connecticut (15-9, 8-6 NEC) with a game-high 17 points while Alexandria Dowdy and Kerrianne Dugan added 13 and 11, respectively.  

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart is 15-10 on the season and 9-5 in the conference after splitting a home-and-home series with Quinnipiac in NEC's rivalry week. Kiley Evans led the Pioneers to a 66-54 victory over the Bobcats Monday night as she scored a game-high 20 points while Callan Taylor recorded 16 boards. As a team, the Pioneers are averaging 60.2 points per game and averaging 58.3 ppg. Taylor leads the lineup in scoring with 14.9 points per game and is also the team's best rebounder with 8.9 boards per contest. Senior Alisa Apo, a former NEC Player of the Year and preseason all-conference selection, will miss the rest of the season after suffering an ACL tear against Harvard.        

ON THE OFFENSIVE…GLASS
The Black and Gold have been masters of the boards this season, leading the conference in rebounding with 41.9 boards per game while the team also tops the league with 16.24 offensive rebounds per contest. Individually, Siamone Bennett and Brittany Stahura rank first and seventh in offensive rebounds with 3.64 and 3.08, respectively. 

TEACH ME HOW TO DOUG-LAS
Sophomore Danielle Douglas has been one of the most consistent players for the Bulldogs this season and that was apparent during last week's New England Knockout series with Central Connecticut. The Maryland native averaged 14 points in the two-game set, shooting 44 percent from the floor including a trio of 3-pointers. Overall, Douglas leads the team in scoring with 10.8 points per game and is one of three players on the roster to start and play in every game this season, along with Siamone Bennett and Meredith Soper.    

KRISTA CLEAR
Rookie Krista Ferrentino has played big minutes off the bench in the New England Knockout series, scoring eight points in each game against Central Connecticut. The freshman averaged 23.5 minutes in the two-game span, providing a spark down low as she was able to get to the line for ten made free throws in the stretch and also added seven rebounds in the home contest against the Blue Devils.  

PICKPOCKETS
In 24 games this season, the Bulldogs rank second the NEC with 242 steals, averaging 9.68 steals per game, trailing only Saint Francis (PA) at 9.73 steals per game. Leading the way is sophomore Danielle Douglas, who ranks fourth in the NEC with a 2.24 thefts per game, including a trio of five-steal games against Dartmouth, Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis (NY).  

HOME COOKIN'
The Black and Gold have missed the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center this season, as their only win away from Smithfield, R.I. was against Air Force on Dec. 3 in the opening game of the Air Force Classic. Bryant is now 1-12 overall and 0-67in conference games when on the road, while the team sports an impressive 5-2 conference home record this winter including a victory over NEC preseason favorite, Long Island. 

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold return to NEC action on Monday, Feb. 21 for the home finale and senior day as the Bulldogs play host to Quinnipiac at 7:00 p.m. Seniors Lindsey Hudspeth and Siamone Bennett will be honored before the contest for their four years of hard work and dedication to the Bryant women's basketball program.