Bulldogs downed by Bobcats, 84-47

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team fell at home to Quinnipiac University on Saturday, dropping an 84-47 decision to the visiting Bobcats in an important Northeast Conference battle at the Chace Athletic Center.

The Bulldogs (11-7, 4-3 NEC) could not find their groove on a snowy afternoon, as the Bobcats (13-6, 5-2 NEC) capitalized on sharp shooting from the field while capitalizing on several Bryant miscues to cruise to the 37-point victory, handing the home team its worst defeat of the season.

Comparable to the wintery conditions outside, Bryant was ice-cold from the field, shooting a meager 27.1 percent on a 19-of-70 clip.  Those numbers, however, were not nearly as discouraging as the team's free throw shooting effort, as the Bulldogs went 5-of-14 from the line to post a season-low 35.7 percent free throw clip. 

On the other end, Quinnipiac's prolific offense – which entered the weekend averaging a conference-best 67.5 points per game – was firing on all cylinders, highlighted by four players finishing with double-digit points. 

The Bobcats knocked down 27-of-59 from the field for a 45.8 percent field goal clip while also posting strong numbers from the stripe, finishing the afternoon 24-for-27 in free throw shooting (88.9 percent).

For Bryant, junior Danielle Douglas (Silver Springs, Md.) represented the lone double-digit point-getter while finishing the afternoon with 16 points and seven boards and nabbing a team-high four steals. Classmate Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) and sophomore Courtney Schissler(Branford, Conn.) each chipped in eight points, while the latter set a new career high with seven rebounds to lead the home team.

Quinnipiac, meanwhile, used a balanced attack led by Brittany McQuain's team-high 14-point contribution.  The sophomore missed a double-double by one rebound, leading the Bobcats with eight.  Rookie Jasmine Martin added 13 points and four boards, while junior Felicia Barron and Kari Goodchild posted 10 points apiece. 

Heralded as one of the top post teams in the conference, Quinnipiac lived up to that reputation with a 53-37 advantage in the rebounding department, marking the most rebounds allowed by Bryant this season.  And while the Bulldogs finished the day with fewer turnovers (18) than the Bobcats (20), the visitors were able to capitalize far more frequently off giveaways, as Quinnipiac owned a commanding 24-9 advantage in points off turnovers. 

After falling behind by 17 points at the break, Quinnipiac would not allow the home side a chance to get back to within striking distance, outscoring Bryant by a 37-23 margin in the second frame alone.  The Bobcats logged 50 percent shooting marks from the field (14-of-28) and from long range (2-for-4) in the second stanza

The Bulldogs soared out of the gate to start the ball game, pulling ahead 9-0 in the opening minutes to prompt an early timeout by Quinnipiac.  But that lead was short-lived, as the Bobcats went ahead, 12-9, by means of 10 straight points. 

From that point on, the floodgates opened for the visitors, as Quinnipiac used two separate scoring runs to build a 23-point lead before the end of the half.  First, it was a 20-3 run that lasted over a span of 4:47 that produced a 20-12 lead in favor of the Bobcats after falling behind by nine. 

The Bulldogs marched right back and were within two points with exactly 10 minutes to play in the half, but Quinnipiac responded with another big run, this time a 14-3 stretch over 4:06 to move out in front, 34-21, with 5:54 left in the frame.  The Bobcats closed the half on a 13-3 run to head to the locker room ahead, 47-24.

Bryant will look to stay unbeaten on the year in bounce-back games on Monday (Jan. 23) afternoon, as the Black and Gold look for the season sweep against Central Connecticut at the Chace Athletic Center.  Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.

For continuing coverage of Bryant University women's basketball, check back at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.