#2 Bulldogs advance to NEC Semis with 76-54 win over Mount Sunday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Behind a game-high 27 points from Northeast Conference Player of the Year Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio), the Bryant University women's basketball team took down seventh-seeded Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, Sunday afternoon in the NEC Tournament Quarterfinals.

With the win, the Bulldogs (22-8, 14-4 Northeast Conference) advance to the NEC Tournament Semifinals for the second-straight season, while the Mountaineers (8-22, 6-12 NEC) put a bookend on their 2014-15 season. The win also marks Bryant's 22nd of the year, matching a program record for wins in a single season.

"We are really excited to have another chance to go back to the semi-finals in the NEC Tournament," said Bryant head coach Mary Burke. "I think it's a big tribute to the players and their commitment all season.

"I thought we ran on all cylinders today after sputtering during the latter part of the regular season. I thought we played great defense, we were making shots, playing with great energy and I think at this point in the season, it's critical that everything is flowing in the right direction. I feel that was our big X-factor today."

The second-seeded Bulldogs earn the right to host #3 Robert Morris, Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center, after the Colonials knocked off Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday afternoon.

Rucker, who scored 15 of her game-high 27 points in the first 11+ minutes of action, added eight rebounds, going 4-of-4 from deep in 33 minutes of action. Junior Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) finished with 15 points, three rebounds and a game-high six steals, while freshman Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) chipped in 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from deep.

Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) put up eight points, seven assists, and four steals despite battling a mid-game injury and sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) recorded a game-high 10 boards to go along with five points.

Jenn Carney led the Mount with 18 points while a pair of freshman, Jessica Harris and Katrice Dickson, each finished with 12 points.

Despite a pair of close games between the two teams during the regular season, Sunday's NEC Quarterfinal matchup was all Bryant from the get-go as the Bulldogs rode a 17-4 run to open the contest. The Mountaineers slowly chipped away at the deficit in a sloppy game that featured 43 total turnovers, cutting the margin to only four just before the half.

The first eight minutes of the second half brought along more back-and-forth play with the lead stuck in single digits until a 19-0 Bryant run from the 12:02 to 5:33 catapulted the Black and Gold to a 65-42 edge with just over five minutes to play.

The Bulldogs rode their sharp shooting, which featured 12 makes from 3-point range, to the 76-54 victory.

Looking ahead, Bryant and Robert Morris will link up in the NEC Tournament Semifinals for the second-straight season after the Colonials took down the Bulldogs, 72-67, on their way to the NEC Title in 2013-14; however this time, the two teams will square off at the Chace Athletic Center, Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the right to play in the NEC Tournament Championship.