Women honor seniors in 2011-12 finale

Bulldogs honor pair of seniors in 2011-12 finale vs. Wagner

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SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team will close the book on the 2011-12 season tonight at the Chace Athletic   Center, as the Bulldogs look to snap a six-game losing streak against Wagner College.

SERIES HISTORY

Despite joining the Division I ranks just three seasons ago, the Bulldogs have had immense success against Wagner and sport an undefeated, 4-0 record in the all-time series. The Seahawks came close to knocking off the Bulldogs in the team's matchup earlier this year, losing by just four (71-67) to account for the closest game ever played between the schools. But from 2008-2011, the Bulldogs had won each game by at least 10 points.

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS

Looking to snap a 21-game losing streak, the Seahawks enter Monday's affair with a 2-26 overall record and a 1-16 mark in the conference. Wagner has not won since a 49-45 victory against St. Francis (NY) back on Dec. 3.

Despite the losing streak, Wagner has been on the verge of victory as of late, but has fallen just short in recent contests. In their most recent outing at CCSU on Saturday, the Seahawks held a 14-point lead in the early goings, but CCSU managed to claw back by halftime. In the second half, Wagner trailed by just two with eight minutes to go, but a 12-0 run from the Blue Devils proved to be the difference in a 79-66 defeat. 

The Seahawks continue to be led by senior center Kelly Clark, who leads Wagner in scoring (13.8 ppg.), rebounding (7.8), field goal percentage (.478) and blocked shots (1.8 blocks per game.). Against the Mount on Feb. 15, Clark tallied a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, and most recently the senior contributed an even six points and six boards against CCSU. She became the 52nd player in Wagner history to reach the 1,000-point plateau this season.

SENIOR NIGHT AT THE CHACE

Before tonight's contest, the Bulldogs will honor their two seniors who will be playing their final game with Bryant.

A senior guard from Bow, N.H., Kaitlyn Hinck was previously a four-year star on the Bryant women's soccer team before joining the women's basketball ranks as a walk-on in December. In her short time with the Bulldogs, she has become a leader on the court, and her energy and intensity have earned her consistent time on the floor in the second half of the season. She went off for a game- and career-high 18 points at Saint Francis (PA) earlier this month.

The team's second senior from Amsterdam, N.Y., Brittany Stahura has been a staple in the lineup since the beginning of Bryant's reclassification era to Division I. She has been integral toward the program's growth during that span, and this season she is the only Bulldog to start in all 29 games. She has hauled down over 500 rebounds in her career and is a facilitator on offense with over 150 career assists. She has appeared in 105 career games with 59 starts.

KAIT GOES CRAZY AGAINST RED FLASH

Entering last Saturday's game with a scoring average of around a point-per-game, senior guard Kaitlyn Hinck - who joined the team in December as a walk-on player to help counter the lack of depth in a depleted Bryant lineup - went off for an outstanding performance that no one saw coming. The Bow, N.H., native set career highs in every offense statistic, pacing not only the Bulldogs, but all players with 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench. Hinck went 6-for-9 from the field and an impressive 3-for-6 from long range and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line. She added two rebounds, dished two assists and totaled one steal for good measure, marking one of the most unexpectedly outstanding performances from a bench player in recent memory.

WHITTINGTON NEARLY NATION'S BEST

Junior Katie Whittington has been dominant from the stripe this season, and her performance has not gone unnoticed. While Bryant still is a reclassifying team, Whittington's 90.1 percent success rate on 82-of-91 shooting from the free throw line actually ranks third among all Division I players averaging a minimum of 2.5 made free throws per game. Only Portland St.'s Courtney VanBrocklin and Richmond's Abby Oliver have logged better free throw percentages this year.

NEC TOURNEY FIELD IS SET

While the Bulldogs were not eligible to compete in the 2012 Northeast Conference Tournament this season, the Bulldogs would have fallen short of that mark this season regardless of their reclassification status. The highest the Bulldogs can finish in the conference standings is ninth after falling from 6-5 to 6-10 in the conference during their five-game skid. The eight teams that will be competing for a bid to the NCAA Tournament are Quinnipiac; Sacred Heart; Robert Morris; Monmouth; Saint Francis (PA); LIU Brooklyn; Mount St. Mary's and Fairleigh Dickinson.

A FEBRUARY TO FORGET

After entering the month of February with a 12-9 record, Bulldogs have had a rough going in the second month. While Bryant handed St. Francis (NY) a 55-45 win back on Feb. 4, the Bulldogs have fallen in six straight games since that meeting. During that stretch, Bryant has been outscored by a 476-431 margin, has been out-rebounded (275-268), has totaled just 6.3 steals per game, and has converted only 57.7 percent (86-149) of its chances at the free throw line. Bryant's only worse month than this February was an 0-5 mark in November of 2010.

NOT FEELIN' THE 40s

Bryant has been held to 40-49 points on four occasions this season, and the end result has not been positive in any of them. The Bulldogs are 0-4 on the year when scoring between 40-49 points. 

TAKE AWAY THE 20s, TOO!

The Bulldogs are 1-4 on the season when posting a shooting percentage less than 30 percent. The only victory in which the team logged a shooting percentage in the 20s was 55-49 win over Monmouth on Jan. 28.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?

Bryant University Athletics offers more ways than ever before to watch, listen or follow your Bulldogs during all the action even when you can't make it to the court!  Head to www.bryantbulldogs.tv for information about single-game and full- season broadcasting packages, where you can watch webcasts of the Bulldogs for most home games.  Live stats can be found at www.bryantbulldogs.com for every contest, and you can follow @BryantGameday on Twitter for score updates.