Bulldogs battle Pioneers in fight for first on ESPN3, Monday night in Smithfield

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Coming off a key 86-52 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, the Bryant University women's basketball team battles Sacred Heart in its fight for first place in front of a national audience on ESPN3 at 7:04 p.m. on Monday in the Chace Athletic Center. 

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the 15th meeting between the Bulldogs and Pioneers with the series mark predominantly in Sacred Heart's favor, 11-3. The Bulldogs have won three of the last four meetings, but prior to Bryant's Feb. 24, 2014 victory, the Pioneers had won 10-straight times. 

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
The Pioneers currently sit atop the NEC standings after the Bulldogs lost to St. Francis Brooklyn, 58-57, on Feb. 15. Sacred Heart enters the contest on a six-game winning streak, defeating Fairleigh Dickinson, 80-65, most recently (Feb. 20). The Bulldogs and Pioneers are comparative in team stats, as both teams shoot 41.4 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from three. The Bulldogs win the battle on the boards, averaging 9.2 more boards than their opposition, while the Pioneers rip down 0.5 less than their competitors. Sacred Heart is lead offensively by junior Hannah Kimmel, who averages 16.5 points per game, holding the fifth slot in the league in scoring. The guard is solid across the board, shooting 38.4 percent from the floor, 38.4 from three and 71.6 from the chalk. Senior Alissa Tarsi also dominates for the Pioneers, recording 12.2 points per game, finishing 83.3 percent from the line. The forward shoots a conference-high 55.3 percent from the field while recording the NEC's third most offensive rebounds at 3.48 per contest. 

#FIGHTFORFIRST
Monday's game against the Pioneers marks the most important game for the Bulldogs thus far, as they will battle it out on ESPN3 for first place in the conference. If Bryant is to win, they will sit even with Sacred Heart record wise, but win the tiebreaker, having defeated the Pioneers, 61-59, in Fairfield on Jan. 30. 

SHOOTING LIGHTS OUT
The Bulldogs shot out of this world against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20, recording season-highs 64.0 percent (32-50) from the field and 68.4 percent (13-19) from 3-point land. Bryant's 32 made field goals marks the second most this season, while 13 threes ties the team's season-best. Senior Breanna Rucker led the way from behind the arc, draining a career-high five threes, while junior Alex Klein notched a personal-best eight field goals. The Bulldogs also shot above their average from the line, hitting 9-of-11 (81.8 percent).  

ALL HANDS ON DECK
Against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20, Bryant had the most players contribute offensively this season with 11 different Bulldogs hitting buckets. Of the 12 Bulldogs to play, 11 scored at least one point, while senior Breanna Rucker recorded a game-high 21 points in the 86-52 win over the Mount. 

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Bryant's game against Sacred Heart will mark the seventh time the Black and Gold have appeared on ESPN3 in Division I, posting a 3-3 record on the broadcast. The Colonials have handed the Bulldogs all three of their national broadcast defeats, including NEC Semifinal losses on March 12, 2014 (72-67) and March 11, 2015 (68-62). Two of Bryant's three national broadcast victories occurred this season, as they defeated Robert Morris, 71-65, on Jan. 23 and Central Connecticut, 65-53, on Feb. 1. The Bulldogs first-ever ESPN3 win came at Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 16, 2015, when the Bulldogs took it, 63-61. 

CLINCHED
Posting a 12-3 NEC record, the Bulldogs have solidified a spot in the league's postseason, beginning on Sunday, March 6. The Bulldogs currently rank second in the conference, sitting just one game behind Sacred Heart, who they defeated, 61-59, on Jan. 30 and will see again on Monday, Feb. 22 in Smithfield. 

THE YOUNG GUN
After eight, nine and 10 assists performances in conference play, freshman Kierra Palmer dished out a career, team and Division I program-high 14 assists against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20. Palmer's assists helped the team to a season-high 30 assists on 32 field goals. 

RANGE
For the first time this season, Bryant had six different players convert from downtown against Wagner on Feb. 13, led by senior Dani Anderson's career-high four threes on four attempts. Sophomore Ivory Bailey hit 3-of-4, while junior Chanel Ramcharran raddled in 3-of-5. The Bulldogs finished the contest with a season-high 13 threes made and finished 54.2 percent, hitting 13-of-24. Tying the season-high, the Bulldogs hit 13 from deep against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20. Senior Breanna Rucker hit a career-best 5-of-6, helping the team to their best performance from behind the arc at 68.4 percent (13-19). 

DOING THE DISHES
The Bulldogs recorded 20 or more assists for the fourth time this season, totaling a season-high 30 helpers on 32 field goals. The Black and Gold's 30 helpers marks the first time the milestone has been reached in Division I. On the second occasion, Bryant dished out 28 assists against Wagner on Feb. 13 after a season-high 21 assists against Central Connecticut on Jan. 2. Nine different Bulldogs dished out helpers in Bryant's second meeting with the Seahawks, while seven Bulldogs tallied an assist against the Blue Devils. The Bulldogs average 15.8 assists per outing, placing them first in the conference and 37th nationally, led by freshman Kierra Palmer. Palmer sits first in the individuals' helpers per contest chart with 4.67 per game in NEC play. In her best performance, the point guard dished out 14 assists against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20.