Bulldogs regain lead in the fourth to beat Seahawks, 82-71, advance to 3-0 in NEC

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Led by five double-digit point scorers, the Bryant University women's basketball team was able to edge out Wagner, 82-71, on the road on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs (6-8, 3-0 NEC) regained the lead for the first time since the 6:33 mark in the third, after sophomore Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) stroked a three to put Bryant up one, 54-53, with 9:02 to play in the contest. Senior Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) got going in the fourth, scoring 15 of her 17 points, including a mid-range jumper to put the Bulldogs up six, 65-59, with 5:34 to go. The Black and Gold prevented the Seahawks (2-12, 0-3 NEC) from scoring back-to-back field goals at any point in the final quarter. In the last 0:39, the Bulldogs hit free throws to close out the game on a 7-point run, sealing the 82-71 victory.

Bryant logged five double-digit point scorers, led by junior Alex Klein (Waterloo, Ont.), Bailey and Rucker all with 17 points, while senior Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) added 13 and Olander with 11. Rucker's 17 points and 10 rebounds marked her seventh double-double of the season. Freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) recorded a new career-high nine assists, while also contributing five points and three rebounds in her 30 minutes of play. The Bulldogs shot 45.8 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from three and 70.6 percent from the line. The Black and Gold scored 17 points off Seahawk turnovers and 16 points on second chance opportunities after finishing with 14 offensive boards. Bryant outrebounded Wagner, 43-38, advancing their positive rebounding margin to 14-straight games.

The Seahawks shot 41.5 percent from the floor, 31.8 percent from behind the arc and 52.6 percent from the chalk. Junior Jasmine Nwajei's game-high 27 points led both teams, while Tanasia Russell added 20, shooting 4-for-7 from downtown.

To start the game, Klein scored the Bulldogs' first six points, as they took a 6-0 lead, which was followed by four-straight turnovers that led the Seahawks to go up one, 7-6, with 6:05 to play in the first. Bryant regained momentum, going on an eight-point run, 14-7, before Jackie Dluhi hit a three to end the Seahawks' four-minute drought, 14-10, to close out the period.

The Seahawks extended their run to eight in the second quarter after Lyndsay Rowe's layup put the home team up one, 15-14, with 8:10 on the clock. A Winder three at 6:48 put the Bulldogs up three, 20-17, ending the 0-7 dry spell from behind the arc. Junior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) scored the Bulldogs' next four baskets, finding 8 of her 10 points in the half, which put Bryant up, 28-25, with 2:28 to play in the quarter. Palmer recorded her fifth assist of the half on a no-look pass to senior Maureen Leahy (, Pa.) in the paint, extending Bryant's lead to five, 30-25, with 1:35 to go. Olander hit nothing but nylon from the short corner, allowing Bryant to grab the sixth lead change of the half, 34-30, heading into the break.

Nwajei came out explosive in the second half for the Seahawks, scoring back-to-back layups to put the home team within two, 36-34, with 8:15 to play in the third quarter. The Seahawks took back the lead, 40-38, at the 5:36 mark after Rowe hit a layup in transition off a Bryant turnover. Wagner found their largest lead of the game after Russell hit one from downtown to put the Seahawks up, 50-42, with 2:03 to go. The Bulldogs went on a 6-0 run to pull within two, 50-48, after Winder nailed the trey with 12 seconds to play in the third.

The Bulldogs comeback in the fourth quarter held off the Seahawks, as they went on to win 82-71. Next, the Black and Gold head to Mount St. Mary's for their fourth conference game of the season on Monday for a 4 p.m. tip.