Big second half run pushes Terriers past Bulldogs on Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – St. Francis Brooklyn used a 12-0 run midway through the second half to defeat the Bryant University women's basketball team 62-52 on Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

With the loss, the Bulldogs (20-8, 13-4) have their winning streak snapped at five and also fall into second place, one game behind Central Connecticut, in the Northeast Conference standings. The Terriers (11-18, 8-9) snap a four-game losing streak against the Black and Gold with the win.

St. Francis Brooklyn's Jaymee Veney led all scorers with 19 points, while Eilidh Simpson added 15 points and four assists. Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) led Bryant with 14 points and Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) added 11 points and six rebounds. The Bulldogs shot just 38 percent from the field and finished 3-for-24 from behind the arc. The Terriers shot 48 percent from the field and made 6-of-13 three pointers.

Saturday's first half was a back-and-forth affair that saw three ties and four lead changes. The Black and Gold ran out to a 7-2 lead in the first three minutes but the Terriers rebounded to tie the game at 9-9 and then again at 16-all on a Veney three with 10:52 left. The trifecta was part of an 8-0 run that gave the St. Francis a 19-16 lead.

Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) and Winder would sink back-to-back baskets to give Bryant the lead back. Leah Fechko answered with five-straight points to put the Terriers back on top but the Black and Gold answered with the final seven points to take a 27-24 lead into the break. Dani Anderson (Wellington, Kan.) kick-started the run with a foul-line jumper and a Winder three-pointer with 46 seconds left capped the run.

Bryant increased its lead to 10 points on multiple occasions over the first 10 minutes of the second half. A quick 7-0 run and six quick points from Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) gave the Bulldogs a 40-30 lead with 11:58 to play. Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) then chipped in six-straight points to push the lead back to 10, 46-36, with 8:43 left to play.

The Terriers responded immediately and ripped off a 12-0 run to grab the lead for good. Veney started the run with a layup, Simpson followed with a three and Katie Fox capped the game-changing run with a four-point play to make it 48-46 Terriers.

Winder ended the run with a layup to tie the game at 48-48 but St. Francis answered with a 14-4 run to close the game and earn the victory. The Terriers sealed the win by canning a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

The Bulldogs will now try and earn a share of the NEC regular season title when they host Central Connecticut on Monday night at 7 p.m. Bryant will honor its three-member senior class prior to the game.