Colonials erase 16-point Bulldog edge, hand Bryant first NEC loss, 55-53

MOON TOWNSHIP, P.A. – After taking a 16-point lead at the 3:28 mark in the second quarter, the Bryant University women's basketball team allowed Robert Morris to go on a 27-2 run in the second half, before falling in a fourth quarter nail-biter, 55-53, in Moon Township, Pa.

It was Bulldogs' (13-9, 10-1 NEC) ball, down by two, 55-53, with eight seconds on the clock, when senior Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) took the ball coast-to-coast, beating her man off the dribbled, before letting the three-foot runner go in the paint. The ball hit off the back of the iron and the Colonials (13-9, 7-4) grabbed the defensive rebound, handing the Bulldogs their first Northeast Conference loss of the season, 55-53.

The second quarter flooded with Black and Gold, as the Bulldogs took a commanding 16-point lead after starting the period on an 11-0 run, including five points earned at the foul line. Senior Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) reached double-digit points during the Bryant streak, after freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) hit the senior with her fourth dish of the game, leading to a Rucker layup, 26-13, with 4:57 remaining in the half. The Colonials found their first bucket from the floor in the second when Niki Stamolamprou hit a layup, 29-15, to end the hosts' 7:58 of scoreless play. Robert Morris picked up a touch of momentum, as they scored five unanswered points to end the half, 31-20, cutting the Bryant lead back to 11.

The opposite case occurred in the third, as Robert Morris was off and running in the opening 3:20 of the half, pushing their streak to 18-straight points, taking their first lead of the contest, 33-31. The Colonials' third quarter run saw points from four different players, including two threes from Stamolamprou, one of which came off a turn-around finish from behind the arc at the 7:51 mark. Junior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) ended Bryant's 3:20 of scoreless play, hitting a jumper to bring the game back to even, 33-33, with 6:23 to go in the quarter. The Colonials didn't stop there, responding the Olander's basket with nine-unanswered points, taking their largest lead of the game, 42-33, with 3:13 to go in the third. The Black and Gold responded back, closing the gap to five at the end of the quarter, 46-41, including a clutch 3-pointer in transition from sophomore Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.).

The Bulldogs continued their momentum into the final 10-minute period, stretching their run to five, as they pulled within three, 46-43, after Winder found Rucker for the reverse layup in transition with 8:17 to play. Winder took over at the point when Palmer fouled out with 6:16 on the clock. The senior scored a layup with 2:01 remaining, cutting the Bulldog deficit to six, 53-47. Bailey scored four-straight points for the Bulldogs, including a jumper under pressure to bring the Bulldogs within two, 53-51, with 0:50 to go in the contest. After Ashley Ravelli only hit one at the line, Bryant pulled the deficit to one when Winder went coast-to-coast for the lay in with 25 seconds to go. The Bulldogs came out in a full-court press out of the timeout when senior Dani Anderson (Wellington, Kan.) just nearly made a steal on a Colonials' cross-court pass. Instead, Rucker fouled, leaving the game with five, when Ravelli hit another free throw, 55-53, with eight ticks on the clock. Winder attempted Bryant's last shot, missing as the clock expired and the Bulldogs fell to the Colonials, 55-53.

Four Bulldogs scored double-digit points, led by Winder with 13, while Olander added 12 off the bench. Rucker recorded her 12th double-double of the season off 12 points and 11 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end. Bailey tacked on 11 points, hitting 6-of-6 from the chalk.

The Bulldogs shot a season-best 88.9 percent from the line, making 16-of-18 at the charity stripe. The Black and Gold lost their second-straight contest on the glass, 43-42, with the deciding rebounding coming off Bryant's last possession to tie or win the game.

Despite fouling out with just minutes to play in the game, Stamolamprou led the Colonials with 15 points, hitting 3-of-5 from downtown, all of which came in the second half. Off the bench, Navarro added 10 points, while Ravelli notched 11.

The Bulldogs remain on the road, heading to Loretto, Pa. to take on Saint Francis U. on Monday at 5 p.m.