Bulldogs host Knights on senior night, Monday at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - In the final game of the regular season, the Bryant University women's basketball team commemorates its seniors, hosting Fairleigh Dickinson on senior night, Monday at 7 p.m.

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the 14th meeting between the Bulldogs and the Knights in Division I play. Bryant leads the series, 9-4, finding victories in the last six meetings. 

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson enters the contest at 8-9 in the conference, placing them in fifth, which ties with Central Connecticut in the NEC standings. The Knights most recently fell to the Blue Devils, 71-59, in New Britain. FDU averages 40.1 rebounds per game, placing them right below first place holder Bryant in the conference. The Knights average one rebound more than their competitors, which makes them one of five teams in the league with a positive rebounding margin, but the Bulldogs have the advantage, grabbing 8.6 more boards than their opposition. The Knights are led offensively by senior guard Kelsey Cruz, who averages 18.4 points per game, shooting 41.5 percent from the floor and 87 percent from the charity stripe. Redshirt senior center Erika Livermore averages the team's second-highest 17.4 points per contest, shooting 48.7 percent from the field.

DOUBLE THE TROUBLE
Four Bulldogs have earned double-doubles this season, led by senior Breanna Rucker, who notched her 18th double-double of the 2015-16 season at LIU Brooklyn (Feb. 27). Her performance marks her ninth-straight double-double game and 50th of her career. Rucker's 18 double-doubles rank first in the NEC and sixth in the nation. Junior Morgan Olander recorded her first double-double performance of the season against the Pioneers, posting 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. 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).

NOT IN MY HOUSE
Junior Morgan Olander swatted players away a season-high four times at LIU Brooklyn, falling just one shy of her career-best. The four-block performance also stands as the most in a game by any Bulldog this season. 

MONDAY BLUES
In the last two weeks of conference play, the Bulldogs have won on Saturday but lost on Monday. In an unexpected loss, the Bulldogs fell, 58-57, to St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday, Feb. 15. The following Monday, Feb. 22, the Bulldogs lost their fight for first place in the league, dropping the contest, 64-60, to Sacred Heart. Saturday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 20, both saw some of the best numbers for the Black and Gold, as they defeated Wagner, 94-67, and Mount St. Mary's, 86-52. The Bulldogs currently sit 5-3 on Mondays and 8-2 on Saturdays. Bryant also grabbed another win on Saturday on the road, defeating LIU Brooklyn, 62-53 (Feb. 27).

FITTY (PER)CENT
Despite a team 37.5 percent shooting night against Sacred Heart on Feb. 22, sophomore Ivory Bailey and junior Morgan Olander both led the team, hitting 50 percent from the floor. The guard and center each shot 5-for-10 from the field, while Bailey also finished 3-for-4 from behind the arc. Bailey and Olander each finished with double-digit points, as Bailey led the Bulldogs in scoring on the night (13). Olander found the same percentage (4-for-8) at LIU Brooklyn, as she leads the conference in field goal percentage at 54.4 (Feb. 27). Junior Alex Klein also had a strong performance against the Blackbirds, hitting 5-of-10 and finishing with 12 points.

CLINCHED
Posting a 13-4 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 two games behind Sacred Heart, who they split with this season. The Black and Gold have a one-game edge over third place Saint Francis U., who they also split games with this year. 

INDIVIDUALS ON THE GLASS
Forward Breanna Rucker has managed double-digit rebounds in 21 contests, including a season-high 17 at Saint Francis U. on Feb. 8, which tied her career-best set last season. Rucker grabbed her 57th career double-digit rebounding contests, when she raked in a game-high 13 at LIU Brooklyn (Feb. 27). Junior Alex Klein recorded her first career double-digit rebounding game against Brown on Dec. 6, leading the team with 16. Junior center Morgan Olander has grabbed double-digit rebounds in three contests, including a team-high 12 against Sacred Heart (Feb. 22). The backcourt has been impactful on the glass as well, with sophomore Ivory Bailey averaging 6.3 per game, including a season-high 13 rebounds at Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 4. 

'BOUNDS BY THE POUND
One of the Bulldogs' biggest strengths is their performance on the glass both offensively and defensively, outrebounding 25 of their 28 opponents. The Black and Gold currently outrebound their competitors by 8.6 boards per game, placing them first in the Northeast Conference and 20th nationally. Bryant has outrebounded opponents by double digits on 14 occasions, recording its largest margin (20) against Saint Francis U. on Jan. 25 and smallest positive margin (1) against Sacred Heart (Feb. 22) and LIU Brooklyn (Feb. 27). Bryant has lost three contests this season on the boards, 33-32, against St. Francis Brooklyn on Feb. 15, 36-33, at Central Connecticut on Feb. 1, and 43-42, at Robert Morris on Feb. 6. The Bulldogs also hold the top league spot in rebounding offense (40.6), with senior Breanna Rucker leading the team on the boards (11.0). The senior's performance on the offensive glass (4.41 per game) has earned her the top spot in the NEC and is good for 10th place nationally. Rucker's numbers on the boards have helped the team to grab a top-100 spot in rebounding offense (68th).

AT THE POUND
When playing in the Chace Athletic Center, the Bulldogs are 65-42 since moving to Division I. 

A TEAM OF FIRSTS
The Bulldogs sit atop a number of Northeast Conference charts this season. The Bulldogs rank No. 1 in the conference in free throw percentage (.769), rebounding offense (40.6), rebounding defense (32.0), rebounding margin (+8.6), assists (15.81) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.88) and defensive rebounds (26.11). 

NATIONAL ATTENTION
As a team, the Bulldogs occupy five top-100 spots in NCAA Division I statistics, including their highest rank of 11th in free throw percentage (.769). Forward Breanna Rucker has earned five rankings of her own, including two top-10 performances in offensive rebounds per contest (10th) and double-doubles (sixth).

BULLDOGS IN THE NEC
Since joining the Northeast Conference, the Bulldogs have gone 71-55 in league play, including their most successful season last year, where they finished 14-4. The Bulldogs have reached the conference tournament in the last three seasons, reaching the NEC Semifinals last year after earning a share of the regular-season title and defeating No. 7 Mount St. Mary's, 76-54, in the league quarterfinals.