Bulldogs host Crusaders in home opener Monday at 6 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team will host Holy Cross on Monday at 6 p.m. in its 2016-17 home opener, marking the two teams' ninth-ever meeting, in which the Crusaders lead the series, 6-2.

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the ninth meeting between the Bulldogs and Crusaders with the series mark in Holy Cross' favor, 6-2. The Bulldogs beat the Crusaders last in 2014, winning by six, 74-68, but Holy Cross enters the contest with the series' latest win, beating Bryant by one, 65-64, in Worcester last season.

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS
A fairly young team this season, the Crusaders added six freshmen to the roster, comprising of four guards, one forward and one swing player. Six players return to the roster, five of which are a part of the junior class and guard/forward Madelyn Ganser rounding out the returners as the only senior.

The Crusaders opened the season with a 60-56 loss at Manhattan. Junior Infiniti Thomas-Waheed led the team with 19 points, hitting 6-of-17 from the floor, 2-for-6 from three and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Rookie Lauren Manis backed Thomas-Waheed with 11 points, finishing as the only other double-digit point scorer. The forward struggled from three and the line (0-2 and 1-4), but made 5-of-12 from the floor. Five other Crusaders contributed offensively, but Manhattan outscored Holy Cross, 22-9, in the second quarter, which proved to be the decider in the contest.

SENIOR CAPTAIN
Alex Klein, an important member of the team, is not only one-of-three captains this season, but has also shown off her ability to score for the Bulldogs, leading them to a 63-57 victory over Vermont to open the season. The forward put up 25 points, just two points shy of her career-high that she put up in the NEC Semifinals last year.

HAUL AWAY
Freshman Sydney Holloway displayed her athleticism in the season opener at Vermont, grabbing eight boards, including five on the offensive glass. The forward also put up eight points in her collegiate debut, showing that she could be the player to fill Breanna Rucker's very big shoes. 

ICE COLD FROM DEEP
The Bulldogs went 0-for-10 in the first half and 1-for-16 from three in their season opener at Vermont on Friday. Seven Bulldogs attempted shots from behind the arc, but freshman Stephanie Lesko was the only to connect, as she went 1-for-1 in the contest.

"We struggled from outside but our staples were our defense, rebounding and tenacity," said head coach Mary Burke. "Our shooting is going to come around. It is especially hard to come out hot on the road and with young kids trying to shake off the nerves. What proved to be the most crucial was our ability to withstand their runs and that along with our staples will benefit us moving forward."

GAINS
The Bulldogs added five true freshmen to the roster this season, including 5-10 guard/forward Holloway, 5-11 guard/forward Lesko, 6-1 forward Sophia Neubauer, 5-10 guard Taylor Wagner and 5-8 guard Masey Zegarowski. The Class of 2020 was named an honorary mention on the Blue Star college recruiting class rankings.

Holloway will see time as a small forward, using her athleticism to be an active scorer and rebounder. The West Virginia native is an exceptional ball handler for a big and will be able to penetrate the paint from the perimeter. Among all her personal achievements, Holloway helped Morgantown High School become Sectional Champions, Regional Champions and West Virginia State Champions in 2013 and 2015.

Lesko will add to the Bryant backcourt from the two and three, contributing with her ability to shoot from the outside and get into the paint. The New Jersey native also adds length in the backcourt and can stretch the court with her range. Lesko was named to both the New Jersey and Shore Conference All-Star teams as a senior.

Neubauer is a strong, big body that is good in transition, which fits well in Bryant's system. The Kleinmachnow, Germany, native aided the Tilton School in two NEPSAC Class B Championships and an appearance in the conference finals last year.

Wagner fits in Bryant's system at the two guard, ultimately providing more depth at the position. The Sunshine State native is able to stretch the defense with her ability to hit from downtown. As a junior, Wagner led her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and also led the state of Florida in made 3-pointers for the first 15 games of the season.

Zegarowski will be able to provide Bryant time at the two guard, while also backing up Kierra Palmer and Chanel Ramcharran at the point. The New England native provides the Bulldogs with a deep range and the ability to take defenders off the dribble. Zegarowski played alongside Neubauer at the Tilton School, helping the team to two titles while starting all four years for the Rams. She was named to the Cape Ann All-League Team as a freshman, Cape Ann League Player of the Year as a sophomore and the NEPSAC Class B All-Star team as a junior.

BACK IN BLACK AND GOLD
...GUARDS
In total, the Bulldogs return nine to the roster, including four starters. Returning in the backcourt is sophomore Kierra Palmer, who led the team with 4.1 assists per game. The 5-7 guard dished out a Division I program record 14 assists against Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 20. She average 5.2 points per game in her rookie campaign, scoring a season-best 16 points against No. 7 LIU Brooklyn in the NEC Quarterfinals on March 6. The Maryland native received NEC Rookie of the Week in the final week of regular-season play and was named to the NEC All-Rookie Team. Also rejoining the Black and Gold is 5-7 guard Ivory Bailey. Bailey returns off a dominant sophomore season where she was named to the All-NEC Second Team after averaging 11.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, which led all Bryant guards. Sophomore Haley Connors and senior Channel Ramcharran also return for the Bulldogs after having an impact last season. Connors earned five starts in the 23 games she appeared in, scoring a season-high 15 points in her start against Brown on Dec. 6. Ramcharran also started five games in her 31 appearances, averaging 3.0 points and 1.4 assists at the point. The 5-3 guard hit a perfect 3-for-3 behind the arc at Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 11, helping to tie her season-best 13 points, while also dishing out a season-best eight assists in the contest.

...FORWARDS
The Bulldogs return two major assets in the post this season in seniors Alex Klein and Morgan Olander. Klein, the 6-1 forward, appeared in all 31 games last season, earning 24 starts while averaging 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. She put up a season-high 27 points in Bryant's NEC Semifinal game vs. No. 3 Robert Morris on March 9 en route to making the NEC All-Tournament Team. Olander, the 6-2 center, enters her senior season after three very productive seasons in Smithfield. Last year, Olander started in 15 of the 31 games she appeared in, scoring double-digit points on 10 occasions, including a season-high 18 at Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 11. The Connecticut native averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, grabbing a season-high 12 boards against Sacred Heart on Feb. 22.

QUARTER OF A CENTURY
Entering her 26th season in 2016-17, head coach Mary Burke has dedicated a quarter of a century to Bryant's women's basketball program. In 25 years, Burke has gone 367-353, recording 10+ conference wins in 15 seasons, including nine-straight years with double-digit league victories (2000-08). The Providence College women's basketball and New England Basketball Hall of Famer holds a 72-56 NEC mark in the seven seasons. In her winningest season, Burke led her 2003-04 Bulldogs to a 23-9 overall record and 18-4 Northeast-10 mark. Last year's 2015-16 squad began NEC play at 10-0, marking the first time Burke has led her team to 10-straight conference wins to begin the league slate. Burke has led Bryant to four-of-seven NCAA appearances and has reached 20+ wins in two seasons (2003-04 & 2007-08). In 2007-08, the Bulldogs appeared in the national polls on five occasions, each time in the "Others Receiving Votes" category. Another highlight of Burke's tenure at Bryant came in the 2003-04 season, when the Bulldogs finished the year ranked in the USA Today Division II Coaches' Poll Top-25 and advanced to the NCAA Regional Final.

NON-LEAGUE
Against non-league competitors in Division I play, the Bulldogs sit at 47-62, including just two winning seasons against non-conference opponents. The 2014-15 season was the last time the Bulldogs entered NEC play with a winning record, sitting at 8-5, while last year, Bryant went 4-9 to start the season. Bryant's strength of schedule has played a large role in its non-league struggles, including when Bryant played Big East member Seton Hall, America East competitor Maine and ACC opponent Boston College. The more challenging non-conference schedule continues this season with games at the Big Ten's Rutgers and the ACC's Pitt, along with similar nonleague opponents that Bryant faced last season. 

EXPECTATIONS
The Bulldogs graduated Tiersa Winder and Breanna Rucker in the spring and the two record-setting Bulldogs have set the standard for how Bryant women's basketball should be played. The 2015 graduating class was the winningest class in Division I program history, as Winder and Rucker were a part of 69 wins and a NEC Tournament appearances in all four years. The Bulldogs have made it to the league semifinals for four-straight seasons, facing Robert Morris on all occasions. Winder was a major threat for the Bulldogs from downtown, breaking the program's Division I record for most career 3-pointers with 141. The Maryland native finished her career with 966 points, placing her fifth in the program's Division I record books. The Third Team All-NEC selection last season currently ranks among the programs' elite in two categories in Bryant's record books. Rucker graduated as a two-time All-NEC First Teamer and NEC Player of the Year as a junior. The power forward was an absolute forces, totaling 20 double-doubles in her 30-game appearances as a senior, which topped the NEC and ranked her top-10 in the country. In her final campaign, the Ohio native reached a number of milestones, including 1000+ points, 1000+ rebounds, 50+ career double-doubles, 100+ games played and 100+ career starts. In four seasons in Smithfield, Rucker grabbed 1050 rebounds and scored 1395 points, making her the program's top-scorer in Division I history. Rucker's 1395-career points ranks her sixth all-time, marking her eighth appearance in the program's record books. The legacy that Winder and Rucker left behind has paved the way for current and future Bulldogs and has also set the bar for where the program wants to continue to be year in and year out.

BURKE'S BLURB
"The five freshmen have been acclimating well to the system by buying in and working hard. They have been very attentive and work to get better every day."

"Most people look at it as the post-Rucker year after the dynamic and skill she brought to the team the last four years, especially being one of the league's best players the last two years. We are now redefining who we are. But I believe the success we have had over the last few years has presented an understanding to the returners about what it takes for us to be successful in the league, and we will continue to build on that. That will be her and Tiersa's legacy - showing our younger players what it takes to be consistently successful in the league."

"We have some very good pieces and a lot of experience with KeKe back running our point guard position. We have Ivory Bailey, who is a well-respected player in the league. We have Alex and Morgan back in the post. It is always good to have two anchors down low, who understand the physicality of the game and how our system works in the post. Hayley provided some starting minutes for us last year after Tiersa got hurt and Chanel returns after having her best year thus far."

"It was and still is very important for the leaders and the upperclassmen to step up and show the freshmen how things are done. This is how hard we work, this is the mentality, this is the system. Not only talking the talk but walking the walk and I think they have done that."

In regards to the game against Vermont: "Being able to play a number of young players has a big upside. They were able to perform and get some valuable minutes. Our freshman had big moments for us and we will continue to reap the rewards later on."

"A win always helps the team's mindset, especially on the road. It makes the hard work and practice worth it. It is a long season and we still have a lot to work on to get better, but it's a good start."