Rucker records fifth double-double this season, Bulldogs win, 55-42, Sunday afternoon in Smithfield

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After a tough loss at Maine, the Bryant University women's basketball team bounced back strong against New Hampshire, winning, 55–42, in the Chace Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Bulldogs showcased their teamwork at the 8:10 mark in the second period, when Dani Anderson (Wellington, Kan.) hit a wide open three to advance the lead to 10, 19-9, after every player on the team got a touch on the ball. The Bulldogs took a 20-point lead, 29-9, after sophomore Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Ont.) found senior Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.) in the paint, who rolled off a defender and finished with a layup on the left side, with 1:59 to play in the quarter. Senior Corinne Coia hit a pair of free throws to end the Bulldogs' 17-point scoring streak, cutting the lead to 18, 29-11, with 1:32 left in the second. The Black and Gold forced the Wildcats into 10 turnovers in the half and held the visitors scoreless for nearly 10 minutes, preventing New Hampshire from scoring a single field goal in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs shot 42.6 percent from the field, 25 percent from three and 83.3 percent from the line, with nine different players scoring for the home team. Senior Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored a team-high 12 points, while also finishing with 11 rebounds to collate her fifth double-double of the season. Junior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.) scored eight points and gathered seven rebounds, while Bailey nabbed seven points, four boards, three assists, a block and four steals.

New Hampshire shot 21.1 percent from the floor, 9.1 percent from behind the arc and 77.3 percent from the chalk. The Wildcats were led offensively by Elizabeth Belanger, who finished with 15 points, off 4-of-11 from the field, 1-of-3 from downtown and 6-of-6 from the line.

In the first quarter, New Hampshire's Belanger hit a three but junior Chanel Ramcharran (Pickering, Ont.) was quick to respond with one of her own to tie the game, 7-7, with 4:20 to play in the period. The Bulldogs forced back-to-back turnovers on the ensuing plays and Klein converted one into two points with a lefty layup to put the Bulldogs up, 9-7, with 3:51 to go in the period. Out of the media timeout, senior Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) hit a three in the corner to advance the lead, 12-7, at the 2:51 mark in the first. Belanger's jumper in the paint ended the Bulldog's eight-point run and closed the gap to three, 12-9, with 1:16 to go in the quarter.

In transition, freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) found Bailey in the corner, who sunk the three to put the Bulldogs up by 24, 40-16, with 5:23 to play in the third quarter. Anderson helped the Bulldogs to their largest margin of the game, leading by 25, 45-20, after hitting one from three-point land.

Rucker opened up the fourth quarter with a bucket inside to end the Wildcats' six-point run, resulting in Bulldogs' 21-point lead, 27-26. New Hampshire made an eight-point run to close out the game, but the Bulldogs were able to hold onto the lead, winning, 55-42, which ended a five-game losing streak.