With two-game lead in NEC play, Bulldogs face Blue Devils Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN 3

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Halfway through the Northeast Conference slate, the Bryant University women's basketball team aims to stay perfect in league play, as they travel to New Britain, Conn. to take on Central Connecticut at 7 p.m. in front of a national audience on ESPN 3.

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the 16th meeting between the Bulldogs and Blue Devils with the series mark in Bryant's favor, 8-7. The Bulldogs took the go ahead series win in their last meeting with the Blue Devils on Jan. 2, 2016. The 70-56 Bryant victory pushed the Bulldogs series win streak to two, but Central Connecticut leads the matchup in New Britain, 4-3. 

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
The Blue Devils sit tied with Robert Morris in fourth place in the NEC, winning the last three-straight league games to help them to a 5-4 mark. Central Connecticut has been dominating at home, finding wins in three of their last four contests in Detricks Gymnasium, including key victories over Saint Francis U. on Jan. 23 and Robert Morris on Jan. 25. The Blue Devils average 3.9 less rebounds than their opposition and in their last meeting with Bryant, the Bulldogs outrebounded Central Connecticut by 12. The Blue Devils are led offensively by sophomore Camden Musgrave, who averages 11.9 points per game, shooting 39.2 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from three.

NINE DOWN, NINE TO GO
The Bulldogs have played each NEC competitor once this season and have maintained a perfect 9-0 record through league play. Now that every team has seen each other once, the competition will stiffen, as they all meet again in a battle for a place in NEC post-season. 

DOWN TO THE WIRE
In the Bulldogs' last outing against Sacred Heart on Jan. 30, the game was decided with only 25 seconds to go, when junior Alex Klein received the feed from senior Tiersa Winder, before scoring the lefty layup to give the Bulldogs the go ahead point, 60-59. Down the other end Sacred Heart's Alissa Tarsi turned the ball over, forcing the Pioneers to foul, which put 86.3 percent free throw shooter Breanna Rucker at the line to shoot two. The senior forward hit 1-of-2 from the chalk, placing the Bulldogs up by two, 61-59, with four seconds on the clock. In a last-ditch effort, Adaysha Williams chucked an attempt up from half court, but the 3-point attempt missed, hitting the back of the iron. The Bulldogs sealed the victory and advanced to 9-0 in the conference. 

YOU AIN'T GONNA TIE ME DOWN
Bryant found its first win of the season after trailing at halftime, now posting a 1-6 record when down at the intermission. After scoring only six points in the second quarter, the Bulldogs faced an eight-point halftime deficit, 32-24, at Sacred Heart, but battled back in the second half to win, 61-59, on Jan. 30. 

ALONE AT THE TOP
The Bulldogs currently sit atop the Northeast Conference with a two-game cushion over second place Sacred Heart, after defeating the Pioneers, 61-59, on Jan. 30. Bryant remains a perfect 9-0 in the league as they head into the second half of conference play. 

AMONGST THE FEW
Since joining the NEC, Bryant is now one of only two teams to reach a 9-0 start, including 2012-13 Quinnipiac, who went 18-0 in the conference and won the NEC Championship. 

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE
Three Bulldogs have earned double-doubles this season, led by senior Breanna Rucker, who notched her 10th double-double of the 2015-16 season against Sacred Heart on Jan. 30. In the contest, Rucker notched a team-high 17 points and tied her season-best 15 rebounds for the third time this year. In her ninth double-double performance, Rucker recorded a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds against LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 16. Rucker's 10 double-doubles rank first in the NEC and 25th in the nation. Sophomore Ivory Bailey recorded her fourth double-double of the season and fifth of her career off 10 points and 10 rebounds against Saint Francis U. (Jan. 25), marking two-straight games with such a performance. Junior Alex Klein logged her first-career double-double off 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds against Brown (Dec 6). 

'BOUNDS BY THE POUND
One of the Bulldogs' biggest strengths is their performance on the glass both offensively and defensively, outrebounding all 20 of their opponents. The Black and Gold currently outrebound their competitors by 10.7 boards per game, placing them first in the Northeast Conference and 11th nationally. Bryant has outrebounded opponents by double digits on 12 occasions, recording its largest margin (20) against Saint Francis U. on Jan. 25 and smallest margin (2) at Boston College on Dec. 30. Heading into the weekend, the Bulldogs also held the top league spot in rebounding offense (40.9), with senior Breanna Rucker leading the team on the boards (10.3). The senior's performance on the offensive glass (4.2 per game) and her total rebounds per game have earned her the top spot in the NEC and are good for 13th and 21st place nationally. Rucker's numbers on the boards have helped the team to grab a top-100 spot in rebounding offense (40.9). 

FOUR QUARTERS
Bryant has outscored opponents in 36-of-76 quarters this season, while also holding its competitors to single-digit point totals on eight occasions. Most recently, Bryant prevented Sacred Heart (Jan. 30) from scoring more than eight points in the third quarter. The Black and Gold held Robert Morris (Jan. 23) to nine points in the first ten minutes, while also containing St. Francis Brooklyn (Jan. 18) to single-digit point totals in the second (7) and fourth quarter (8), outscoring the Terriers, 35-15. The Bulldogs only allowed Fairleigh Dickinson 14 total points in the middle two quarters, including just four points in the second (Jan. 4). In similar fashion, Bryant allowed New Hampshire only 17 combined points in the second and third quarters, including just two points in the second alone (Dec. 20). 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. 

INDIVIDUALS ON THE GLASS
Forward Breanna Rucker has managed double-digit rebounds in 13 contests, including a season-high 15 on three occasions, which most recently occurred at Sacred Heart on Jan. 30. Rucker sits just one game away from 50 career double-digit rebounding contests. Junior Alex Klein recorded her first career double-digit rebounding game against Brown on Dec. 6, leading the team with 16, as she currently ranks 15th in the NEC in offensive rebounds per game (2.11). Junior center Morgan Olander has grabbed double-digit rebounds in two contests, with 10 at Seton Hall (Nov. 13) and 10 against Cornell (Nov. 15). The backcourt has been impactful on the glass as well, with sophomore Ivory Bailey averaging 6.5 per game, including a season-high 13 rebounds at Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 4.