Big run pushes Pioneers past Bulldogs, 84-78, Mon.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart used a decisive 16-2 run midway through the second half to hand the Bryant University women's basketball team its second-straight loss on the road, 84-78, on Monday night at the Pitt Center.

The loss drops the Bulldogs (10-9, 5-3 NEC) into third place in the league standings, while the Pioneers (9-10, 6-2) take sole possession of second place. Sacred Heart is also a perfect 10-0 against the Black and Gold at the Division I level.

With the score tied at 33-33 at the half, the Pioneers calm out of the break pumping, draining their first three triples to grab a 42-37 lead just three minutes into the half. SHU's lead hovered around five points until Adaysha Williams started the decisive run with a jumper at the 10:08 mark. Gabrielle Washington chipped in eight points during the run and Williams capped it with a layup to make it 71-54 with just six minutes to play.

Bryant would battle back to pull within four but ran out of time. Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) jump-started the late charge with five-straight points off the bench. Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) followed with five of her own points and Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) canned a trifecta from the wing to pull the Bulldogs within six, 77-71, with two minutes to play. The Pioneers were able to put the game away, however, going 9-of-10 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes.

It was all Bulldogs to open the contest as Soper's lay in off the opening tip started a 9-3 opening run. Courtney Schissler (Branford, Conn.) highlighted the hot start for the Bulldogs as she ripped off five-straight points and then hit back-to-back trifectas to give Bryant a 17-8 lead with 15:38 to play.

The Pioneers rallied, however, outscoring the Black and Gold 10-2 over the next five minutes to pull within one, 19-18, with 11:00 to play. The majority of the spurt was done by the sharp-shooter Washington as she poured in eight-straight points on a variety of jumpers and runners in the lane. A Washington jumper gave SHU its first lead of the evening a minute later and the teams would trade baskets the remainder of the half.

Rucker finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for her second-straight double-double, and Schissler and Soper each finished with 15 points to lead the Black and Gold. Naana Ankoma-Mensa (Brampton, Ont.) chipped in six points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) was the fourth Bulldog in double-figures with 12 points. Washington scored a game-high 27 and Shepard finished with 22 thanks to five three-pointers to pace the Pioneers. The top rebounding team in the conference, Bryant was outrebounded (47-31) for the only the third time all season on Monday.

The Bulldogs will look to get back on track this Saturday as they head to New York to face LIU Brooklyn. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.