Bulldogs continue NEC road trip, taking on Wagner Saturday at 1 p.m.

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Chasing its 4-0 Northeast Conference start last season, the Bryant University women's basketball team heads to Staten Island to take on Wagner on Saturday at 1 p.m.

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the 12th meeting between the Bulldogs and Seahawks. Bryant leads the series, 10-1, recording its only lost to Wagner, 78-64, on Feb. 10, 2014.

SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
The Seahawks enter the contest in search of their first conference win after losing to Saint Francis U., 93-78, on Jan. 2 and Robert Morris, 64-44, on Jan. 4. Large deficits against the University of Pittsburgh, 67-41, No. 7/14 Ohio State, 86-49, and Ole Miss, 86-49, have resulted in a scoring margin of -17.3, placing the Seahawks last in the NEC. The Seahawks' scoring defense average of 73.1 points per game ranks them second to last in the conference, while sitting seventh in scoring offense, averaging 55.8 points per contest. Wagner is led offensively by Jasmine Nwajei, averaging 23.2 points per game, which ranks highest in the conference. The 13-game starting guard has taken 38.1 percent of the Seahawks' shots in 2015-16, while making 40.9 percent of the team's baskets. Nwajei scoring efforts accounts for 41.5 percent of Wagner's total points this season.

GO TO?...ANYONE!
The Bulldogs have three players averaging double-digit points per game in Tiersa Winder (13.3), Breanna Rucker (12.8) and Ivory Bailey (12.7). On any given night, one of the 14 Bulldogs can make a difference in the outcome of the game, with nine players recording at least one double-digit point outing, some on multiple occasions, while four different players have led the Bulldogs in scoring in their 13 games this season.

DULLING THE KNIGHTS' ARMOR
Bryant held Fairleigh Dickinson scoreless for nearly eight minutes, the longest stretch of the game, lasting from leading scorer Erika Livermore's jumper at 8:41 to her field goal at 0:44 in the second quarter. Livermore's pair of made baskets were the only points that the Knights saw in the second period, allowing the Bulldogs to take the lead with a 16-0 run. Bryant went on to outscore Fairleigh Dickinson in each of the final three quarters, 21-4, 15-10, 22-11, guaranteeing the Bulldogs the 70-41 win and the team's largest victory of the season.

SIT, LAY DOWN, TURN...OVER
The Bulldogs are turnover prone, coughing the ball up an average of 19.2 times per game with a turnover margin of -5.69, placing them last in the NEC. What the Bulldogs have proven is that when they stick to the basics and protect the ball, they are less likely to give up possessions. When committing 15 or less turnovers, the Black and Gold are 3-0, including their largest win margin, 70-41, over Fairleigh Dickinson, where they only gave up 12 possessions to the Knights.

'BOUNDS BY THE POUND
One of the Bulldogs' biggest strengths is their performance on the glass both offensively and defensively, outrebounding all 13 of their opponents. The Black and Gold currently outrebound their competitors by 11.2 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 (16.23), rebounding offense (41.7) and rebounding defense (30.5), with senior Breanna Rucker leading the team on the boards. The senior's performance on the offensive glass (4.75 per game) and rebounds per game (11.2) has earned her the top spot in the NEC and sixth and 12th place nationally, helping the team to grab the 25th spot in the country in offensive rebounds per game.

SEASON-HIGH SCORING
Senior Breanna Rucker scored a season-high 26 points against Central Connecticut in the Bulldogs' victory on Dec. 2. The forward shot 9-of-14 from the floor 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 on Nov. 21. 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 ASSISTS BEST
The Bulldogs recorded over 20 assists for the first time since playing UMass Lowell in 2013, when they recorded a Division I best of 28. On Jan. 2, the Black and Gold notched a season-high 21 assists with seven players dishing out helpers.

FOUR QUARTERS
The Bulldogs held Fairleigh Dickinson (Jan. 4) to 14 total points in the middle two quarters, including just four points in the second. In similar fashion, Bryant allowed New Hampshire (Dec. 20) only 17 combined points in the second and third quarter, including just two points in the second quarter alone. The four-point quarter total marked the fourth 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 (Nov. 13) in the first quarter, but then held the Pirates to 14 in the fourth. Bryant has outscored opponents in 20-of-52 quarters this season, 12 of which came in either the second or third quarters.

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.

BULLDOGS TRUMP BLUE DEVILS
In their first conference game of the season, the Bulldogs came from behind 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 standout 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 committing only two turnovers. Senior Tiersa Winder added 16 points for the Bulldogs, while sophomore Ivory Bailey chipped in 10.

BULLDOGS IN THE NEC
Since joining the Northeast Conference, the Bulldogs have gone 52-40 in league play, including their most successful season last year, where they finished 14-4. The Bulldogs have reached the conference tournament in the last three seasons, reaching the NEC Semifinals last year after earning a share of the regular-season title and defeating No. 7 Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, in the league quarterfinals.

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Nine players contributed to the Bulldogs' 70-41 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 4, trying to mark for the most players to score in a single game this season. Four of the nine players totaled double-digit points, including 14 from leading scorer Tiersa Winder. Nine players also got on the board in the 55-42 victory over New Hampshire on Dec. 20, where senior Breanna Rucker led the team with 12 points, while the other four starters combined for 21. Off the bench, junior Chanel Ramcharran and freshman Kierra Palmer added valuable minutes, each contributing four points. Senior Dani Anderson played a strong 20 minutes for the Bulldogs, scoring six points and going 2-for-5 from 3-point land.

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 (41.7), rebounding defense (30.5), rebounding margin (+11.2), average offensive rebounds per game (16.23) and free throw percentage (.750).

NATIONAL ATTENTION
As a team, the Bulldogs occupy four top-100 spots in NCAA Division I statistics, including their highest rank of 13th for rebounding margin per game (+11.2). Forward Breanna Rucker has earned four rankings of her own, including two top-15 performances in rebounds per game (14th) and offensive rebounds per contest (6th).