Bulldogs unable to hold onto second-half lead, edged out by Terriers, 58-57, Monday afternoon

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After leading for 15:08 in the second half, the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to St. Francis Brooklyn, 58-57, after the Terriers hit three from deep, outscoring the Bulldogs, 14-7, in the final quarter.

Senior Dani Anderson (Wellington, Kan.) opened up the fourth quarter with a three to extend the Bulldogs' (14-11, 11-3 NEC) edge to nine, 53-44. Terrier's (6-19, 3-11) Leah Fechko hit one from downtown with 7:40 remaining in the contest to pull the visitors within three, 53-50, for the first time since the 0:30 mark in the second quarter. Blair Arthur tied the game, 53-53, with a three of her own with 4:52 to go. On the Terrier's next possession, Arthur drained the go ahead bucket from behind the arc, as the Terriers took their first lead of the game, 56-53, since the 2:07 mark in the second. The Bulldogs climbed back within one, 58-57, after back-to-back layups from senior Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.). The Bulldogs were unable to come up with any points in the remaining 1:14, dropping their third Northeast Conference game of the season, 58-57.

Rucker found her 15th double-double of the year, tying her season-high 26 points, while gathering 10 rebounds, including six boards on the offensive glass. The power forward shot 55.6 percent from the floor (10-18) and 5-for-5 from the line, while the team finished 40.7 percent (24-59) overall and 71.4 percent (5-7) from the charity stripe. Bailey dished out a team-high five helpers, while contributing nine points and four steals. Freshman Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) also recorded four steals on the day and added six points off a 3-for-8 mark from the field.

The Bulldogs gave the ball up only 13 times to the Terriers' 18, but the visitors won the battle on the boards, 33-32, handing Bryant their third rebounding loss of the season. The Black and Gold came up with their season's second-most steals, taking 12 possessions away from the Terriers.

The visitors were led by one double-digit scorer in Blair, who notched 12 points, including the tying and go ahead buckets in the fourth. Blair shot 4-for-9 (44.4 percent) from the floor and 3-for-7 (42.9 percent) from downtown, while the team finished 45.8 percent (22-48) and 35 percent (7-20) from the respective areas. The Terriers' bench outscored the Bulldogs' reserves, 22-10, with nine of their 10 players scoring.

Palmer put the Bulldogs on the board with a step-back jumper from the foul line, which was followed by a corner three from Rucker that pulled the Bulldogs within one, 6-5, at the 7:13 mark in the first quarter. After shooting 100 percent from the floor against Wagner (Feb. 13) off 4-for-4, junior Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) stayed hot hitting a jumper from the elbow to put the Bulldogs up, 15-12, with 4:11 on the clock. Classmate Chanel Ramcharran (Pickering, Ont.) hit nothing but nylon from the top of the key to end a Terrier's six-point run, 18-18, with 1:52 to play in the first.

Late in the second, a Rucker offensive rebound gave way to a mismatch on senior Maureen Leahy (Springfield, Pa.), who was able to drop step and finish the layup to pull the home team within one, 31-30. On the next play, Palmer doubled the high post, coming up with the steal and finished down the other end to regain the lead for the Bulldogs, 32-31, with 1:39 to go in the half. Rucker gathered another offensive board and finished with a lay in to give the Bulldogs a three-point advantage, 34-31, heading into the intermission.

Palmer showed off her athleticism, spying the pass and picking it off, before finding Rucker for the lay in and three-point play from the line to extend Bryant's run to 13, 39-31, at the 8:17 mark in the third. The Bulldogs took their largest lead, 44-33, with 6:31 to play in the period, after Bailey found back-to-back baskets, including a three from foul line extended. The Terriers answered with two-straight 3-pointers on subsequent plays to pull within three possessions, 46-39, with 4:40 remaining in the third.

The Terriers regained the lead in the fourth quarter and held the Bulldogs off, 58-57, finding their third conference win, while handing Bryant their third league loss of the season.

The Bulldogs return to action this Saturday, when they host Mount St. Mary's at 1 p.m.