Bulldogs battle Scarlet Knights in NEC vs. BIG Ten showdown, Sunday at 2 p.m.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team travels to the Garden State for its first-ever matchup with Rutgers on Sunday at 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES
This contest will mark the first meeting between the Bulldogs and Scarlet Knights and the Black and Gold's first matchup with a BIG-10 opponent.

SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
The Scarlet Knights are still in search of their first win of the 2016-17 season. They are most recently coming off a 64-34 loss at Princeton. Prior to the Ivy League defeat, Rutgers fell to ACC's Virginia and Wake Forest, after opening the season with losses against Chattanooga and at Elon.

As a whole, the team has struggled to put up points, averaging 47.6 per game, while putting up a season-high 54 at Elon. The Scarlet Knights are averaging 15 less points and 10 less rebounds a game against their opposition, two categories in which Bryant is in the green (+2.3, +13.8).

Rutgers has only two players that have started all five games this season in guards Shrita Parker and Khadaizha Sanders, both of whom average double-digit points. Parker leads the team with 10.4 points per game off 47.4 percent from the floor, 27.8 percent from three and 91.7 percent from the line. Sanders backs Parker with an average of 10.0 points per game, shooting 29.4 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from three and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe.

KEYS TO THE GAME
The Bulldogs will have to stick to their principles more than ever this game by boxing out and running the floor in transition. Rebounding will be key against a strong and long Scarlet Knights' squad. Although Rutgers has struggled to shoot from outside and score to start the season, the Black and Gold will need to play tough defense against an opponent who is used to seeing very tough competition in the BIG Ten. It will be imperative that the Bulldogs limit the amount of possessions they give up to Rutgers, as the Black and Gold average 20 turnovers a game.

GIVE-AWAYS
The Bulldogs average 20 turnovers a game, giving up a season-high 24 against Holy Cross and New Hampshire. The Crusaders stole the ball on 17 occasions, leaving only seven Bryant giveaways, while the Bulldogs had 15 unforced errors at UNH.

L IS FOR LEARNING
The Bulldogs faced their first loss of the season at New Hampshire just before the holiday break. In a humbling experience, the Bulldogs gave up a 36-minute lead against the Wildcats, resulting in a 62-60 defeat. The Black and Gold led by as much as 10 points in the start of the fourth quarter after hitting back-to-back threes, but the Wildcats continued to battle, knocking down big-time shots in the final period, before beating the Bulldogs on defense and at the line.

3-1
With their best-ever undefeated Division I program start out of reach, the Bulldogs look to mimic the 2014-15 season, as the 3-1 Bulldogs turned around from a game-four loss to win the next three-straight to begin December at 6-1. This year's team has a chance to follow suit if they can get by a number of tough competitors in Rutgers, Providence and either Brown or Rhode Island.

BAILEY FROM DOWNTOWN
Junior Ivory Bailey had been warming up from downtown through the first three games, before catching fire in game four of the season at New Hampshire, in which the guard knocked down a career-high six threes. In the contest, Bailey six of the team's nine from downtown, as she finished 6-for-11 (54.5%) from downtown and the team connected on a season-best 9-of-20 (45.0%). Bailey's six threes marks the first time a Bryant player has hit six since Katie Whittington made the same amount at Fairleigh Dickinson on Feb. 4, 2013.

QUARTER BREAKDOWN
Of the 17 periods the Bulldogs have played this season, including the overtime against Holy Cross, they have outscored their opponents on nine occasions. In their largest quarter differential, Bryant outscored the Crusaders, 21-11, in the opening period on the contest. In their winning periods, the Bulldogs average 3.57 more points. In their losing periods, the Black and Gold average a deficit of 4.25 points. Through the four three games of the season, Bryant has tied their opponents in two quarters, one occurring in the first period and the other in the last.

DOWN TO THE WIRE
The Bulldogs have yet to win a game by more than six points this season, averaging a +2.3 scoring differential. Bryant went to overtime against Holy Cross, ultimately winning by two. In the following game, Bryant defeated Brown by three in the final minute of the game. Most recently, the Bulldogs gave up a 36-minute lead at New Hampshire in the final minute and a half and in result, the Black and Gold lost by two, 62-60.

REBOUNDING MARGIN
The Bulldogs average 13.8 more rebounds than their opposition through the first four games. In their best performance, Bryant out-rebounded Brown by 23, marking their highest rebounding differential since the 2014 season. In their closest margin, Bryant grabbed four more rebounds than New Hampshire, 38-34.

LEADING AT HALF
After leading at halftime in all four contests this season, the Bulldogs have pulled out wins on three occasions. Bryant's 62-60 loss at New Hampshire was the only instance in which the Bulldogs did not win after winning at intermission. Last year, Bryant went 17-6 when leading its opponent at the break.

NON-LEAGUE
Against non-league competitors in Division I play, the Bulldogs sit at 48-63, 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. This season the Bulldogs are 3-1 to start, marking the last time since 2014-15. 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.

SENIOR CAPTAIN
Alex Klein, an important member of the team, is not only one-of-three captains this season, but is also the leading scorer to start the season. Klein currently averages a double-double off 20.8 points and 10.3 rebounds. The forward has helped Bryant to a 3-1 start for the first time since the 2014-15 season. After scoring 25 points in the season-opener at Vermont, the Canadian native put up a new season-high 26 points against Holy Cross, just one point shy of her career-best 27 points that she scored in last year's semifinal loss to Robert Morris. The senior posted her second-straight double-double of the season against Brown off 18 points and 10 rebounds. The seniors' week two performance helped her garner her first NEC Player of the Week recognition of the season.