Bulldogs kick off conference road trip against Knights Monday at 5 p.m.

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - After winning the conference opener against Central Connecticut on Saturday, the Bryant University women's basketball team begins its three-game conference road trip, traveling first to Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday for a 5 p.m. tip. 

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the 13th meeting between the Bulldogs and the Knights in Division I play. Bryant leads the series, 8-4, finding victories in the last five meetings. 

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson enters the contest at 1-0 in the conference, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, 65-61, on Jan. 2. The Knights have dropped games to Brown (Dec. 29) and UMass Lowell (Dec. 18), both of which the Bulldogs have played this season and split, 1-1. FDU averages 39.1 rebounds per game, about two less than the Bulldogs' average of 41.5. The Knights are turnover prone, averaging 19.2 per contest and coughing it up on 250 occasions. On the other hand they force their opposition into turnovers, averaging 7.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game for a total of 211 opponent turnovers. The Knights are led offensively by senior guard Kelsey Cruz, who averages 18.2 points per game, shooting 40 percent from the floor, 27 percent from three and 85 percent from the charity stripe. Redshirt senior center Erika Livermore averages the team's second-highest 16.2 points per contest, shooting 48 percent from the field and 78 percent from the chalk. 

SEASON-HIGH SCORING
Senior Breanna Rucker scored a season-high 26 points against Central Connecticut in the Bulldogs last time out. The forward shot 9-of-14 and 8-of-8 from the line. 

PALMER SERVES UP HELPERS
Freshman Kierra Palmer recorded a career-best eight assists against Central Connecticut, beating her old standing record of five against Vermont. The point guard currently has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.3 and leads the Bulldogs with 2.5 helpers per game. 

NEW TEAM-BEST ASSISTS
The Bulldogs recorded over 20 assists (21, vs. Central Connecticut - Jan. 2) for the first time since playing UMass Lowell in 2013. 

BULLDOGS TRUMP BLUE DEVILS
In their last time out and first conference game, the Bulldogs came from behind four at the close of the first quarter to win, 70-56, in Smithfield. The team recorded a season-high 21 assists, while only committing 14 turnovers, which stands well below their average of 19.8. Senior Breanna Rucker had a stand out performance, earning her sixth double-double off a season-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. Freshman Kierra Palmer also had a record-setting day, recording a career-best eight assists, while only committing two turnovers. Senior Tiersa Winder added 16 points for the Bulldogs, while sophomore Ivory Bailey chipped in 10. 

BULLDOGS IN THE NEC
Since their first competitive Division I season in the Northeast Conference, the Bulldogs have gone 51-40, including their most successful season last year, where they finished 14-4. Since the 2010-11 season, the program has progressed in the wins category, reaching over .500 in 2012-13, finishing 11-7 in conference play. The Bulldogs have reached the conference tournament in the last three seasons, reaching the NEC Semifinals last year, after defeating number seven Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, in the league quarterfinals. 

DOMINANT IN THE FIRST HALF
The Bulldogs outscored Boston College in the first quarter, 19-14, and found their largest lead of the night, seven, on two occasions in the period (2:30, 0:46). The Black and Gold stayed nearly even with the Eagles in the second quarter, resulting in 10 lead changes, including the final one before the break, where senior Maureen Leahy scored with just seconds to spare to put the Bulldogs back on top by one, 41-40. 

'BOUNDS BY THE POUND
One of the Bulldogs' biggest strengths is their performance on the glass both offensively and defensively, outrebounding all 11 of their opponents. The Black and Gold currently outrebound their competitors by 11.5 boards per game, placing them first in the Northeast Conference and 13th nationally. Bryant has outrebounded opponents by double digits on nine occasions, recording its largest margin, 19, against Vermont on Nov. 21 and smallest margin, 2, at Boston College on Dec. 30. The Bulldogs also hold the top spot in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (16.0), rebounding offense (41.5) and rebounding defense (30.0) with senior Breanna Rucker leading the team on the boards. The senior's performance on the offensive glass (4.82 per game) has earned her the top spot in the NEC and sixth place nationally, helping the team to grab the 24th spot in the country in offensive rebounds per game. 

INDIVIDUALS ON THE GLASS
Forward Breanna Rucker has managed double-digit rebounds in nine contests, including a season-high 15 on two occasions (at UMass Lowell on Nov. 24 and at Holy Cross on Nov. 29). Rucker sits five games away from 50 double-digit rebounding contests. The forward ranks first in the conference in rebounding (11.5) and offensive rebounds (4.82) per game, while ranking 12th and sixth in the nation in the respective categories. Junior Alex Klein recorded her first career double-digit rebounding game against Brown on Dec. 6, leading the team with 16, helping to place her 11th in the NEC in offensive rebounds (2.33). Junior center Morgan Olander has grabbed double-digit rebounds in two contests, including 10 at Seton Hall on Nov. 13 and 1 against Cornell on Nov. 15. The backcourt has been impactful on the glass, with sophomore Ivory Bailey averaging 5.7 per game, including a season-high 11 rebounds against Brown on Dec. 6. 

A TEAM OF FIRSTS
The Bulldogs sit atop a number of Northeast Conference charts this season. The Bulldogs rank No. 1 in the conference in rebounding offense (41.5), rebounding defense (30.0), rebounding margin (+11.5average offensive rebounds per game (16.0) and free throw percentage (.744).

NATIONAL ATTENTION
As a team, the Bulldogs occupy four top 100 spots in NCAA Division I play, including their highest rank of 13th for rebounding margin per game. Breanna Rucker has earned four rankings of her own including two top 15 finishes in rebounding per game (12th) and offensive rebounds per contest (6th).

FILLING A VOID
In the quest to find a permanent player to fill as floor general, head coach Mary Burke has had to call on her bench to fill the position, relying on five different players to run the point. Freshman Kierra Palmer has proven she can supply the Bulldogs offensively, scoring a season-high 12 points against Cornell on Nov. 15, while also contributing five valuable points at Providence on Dec. 9, including a three that helped Bryant narrow the scoring gap. Palmer dished out a career-high eight assists against Central Connecticut on Jan. 2, while also adding six points. Haley Connors has started the two contests for the Bulldogs (at Maine on Dec. 12 and vs. New Hampshire on Dec. 20), after a team-high 15-point performance against Brown on Dec. 6, where the freshman shot 6-of-11 from the field in her 30 minutes of play. Junior Channel Ramcharran started five-straight games, following her performance at Seton Hall on Nov. 13, where she came off the bench and provided the leadership the Bulldogs needed. Without much game experience, junior Amanda Hinton received starts against Brown on Dec. 6 and Providence, providing just 10 minutes of combined playing time. In the season opener against Seton Hall on Nov. 13, Burke relied on her standout veterans, calling on shooting guard Tiersa Winder to run the point, while Ivory Bailey played the two, alongside three post players. 

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Three Bulldogs have earned double-doubles this season, led by senior Breanna Rucker, who notched her sixth double-double of the 2015-16 season against Central Connecticut on Jan. 2, recording a season-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. Rucker's six double-doubles on the season rank her sixth in the nation. In the power forward's best double-double rebounding performance of the season, she racked up a season-high 15 boards, while scoring 20 points at UMass Lowell on Nov. 24, after shooting 7-11 from the floor, 2-2 from 3-point land and 4-4 from the line. Sophomore Ivory Bailey recorded her first double-double of the season and second career off 10 points and 11 rebounds against Brown on Dec. 6. Junior Alex Klein logged her first career double-double off 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds against Brown. 

DEFENSIVE IDENTITY
The Bulldogs struggled more than usual against Maine on the defensive side of the ball, allowing the Black Bears to shoot 57.9 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three. Bryant was only able to record one steal and one block, falling below its season average. In comparison to the game against Maine, in which the Bulldogs gave up 76 points, the Black and Gold dominated on defense against New Hampshire, holding the team to 12-for-57 (21.1 percent) shooting from the floor and a 1-for-11 (9.1 percent) mark from behind the arc, while forcing them into 15 turnovers. The highest shooting percentage the Bulldogs allowed was 60 percent shot by UMass Amherst on Dec. 2, while the lowest shooting percentage given up was 21.1 percent against New Hampshire on Dec. 20. 

FOUR QUARTERS
The Bulldogs held New Hampshire (Dec. 20) to only 17 combined points in the second and third quarter, including just two points, off a pair of free throws, in the second quarter alone. The two-point quarter total marked the third time that Bryant has held an opponent to single-digit point totals. In their highest point-total allowed, the Bulldogs gave up 39 points to Seton Hall in the first quarter, but then held them to 14 in the fourth. Bryant has outscored opponents in 17-of-48 quarters this season, 10 of which came in either the second or third quarter. 

DEFENSE BEYOND THE ARC
Opponents have been able to find success from 3-point land against the Bulldogs through the first 12 games. Bryant has allowed the opposition to shoot 42.8 percent from behind the arc, placing them last in the Northeast Conference in 3-point defense. In their worst performance of the season, Bryant allowed Massachusetts (Dec. 2) to shoot 6-of-9 (66.7 percent) from three-point land, with two players finishing 3-4 from the outside. On four other occasions, the Bulldogs allowed opponents to shoot over 50 percent from downtown (Brown, Cornell, Providence and Holy Cross). In a single-player performance, Brown's Shayna Mehta went 7-for-7 from behind the arc. The Black and Gold gave up a season-high 11 treys against the Seton Hall, leading to a season-high 93 points allowed.

FROM THREE
Senior guard Tiersa Winder has totaled a season-high four 3-pointers against both Massachusetts on Dec. and Central Connecticut on Jan. 2, helping the guard to the third slot in the conference in 3-point field goals made per game (2.27). Against Massachusetts, the senior went 4-of-8 (50 percent) from three, including two in the first quarter during her eight-point run, which stands as her highest 3-point shooting percentage game. Sophomore Ivory Bailey shot a season-high 3-of-5 (60 percent) against Central Connecticut, while going 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from behind the arc against Holy Cross on Nov. 29. In the same game, the team finished 7-for-22 (31.8 percent), including three-pointers from four different players. In the Bulldogs best performance of the season, they shot 56.3 percent from 3-point land at UMass Lowell on Nov. 24. In their worst performance of the season from three, the Bulldogs shot only 1-for-16 (6.3 percent) at Maine, with Winder nailing the only bucket from downtown.

THE STARTING FIVE
Due to the need of a steady point guard, head coach Mary Burke and staff have tried seven different lineups in the first 12 games of the season. Seniors Tiersa Winder and Breanna Rucker, alongside sophomore Ivory Bailey have been the most consistent in the lineups, starting all but one game each. The Bulldogs have seen five different players in the point guard position, including Winder, juniors Chanel Ramcharran and Amanda Hinton, and freshmen Kierra Palmer and Haley Connors. Ramcharran has received the most starts at point guard, five, totaling a record of 2-3. The Bulldogs have found the most success with Rucker and Winder in the starting five, winning all four games with them in the lineup. After receiving the first eight starts of the season, junior Morgan Olander has been replaced at the center position classmate Alex Klein, who has made the lineup on six occasions. In the latest two games, Burke has called on Palmer (PG), Winder (G), Bailey (G), Rucker (F) and Klein (F) for the starting five, which currently sits at 1-1 with a win over Central Connecticut on Jan. 2 and a loss to Boston College on Dec. 30.