Wildcats spoil Bryant's home opener, top Bulldogs 74-65

POSTGAME QUOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Five Bulldogs scored in double figures, but the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on Tuesday evening, 74-65, at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield.

The Bulldogs were led by 12 points from redshirt junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) and had 11 each from sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) and freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.). Junior Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) and sophomore Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) each scored 10.

GAME INFORMATION

New Hampshire 74, Bryant 65

Records: New Hampshire 3-1, Bryant 0-4

Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

Attendance: 328

COACH BURKE'S COMMENTS

"We knew that UNH had a very experienced team coming in – they have seven seniors. They had a lot of good chemistry and players that play well together. Unfortunately, that means players that can go into the post, one of which was last year's Player of the Year (Carlie Pogue). They showed their experience, their depth and their chemistry.

"I think we battled. We worked on a lot of things over the past five days. In this game, we did a little bit better of a job limiting turnovers. One of our big issues continues to be allowing offensive rebounds and allowingsecond-chancee points."

KEY MOMENTS

• After the Bulldogs went on a 5-0 run to come within 11, UNH's Olivia Healy hit a jumper from the outside of the paint to squash Bryant's momentum.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Wildcats went on a 10-0 run midway through the first quarter to gain a lead that they would not surrender. UNH's Olivia Healy scored five of the Wildcats' 10 points in that span.
• UNH would go up by as many as 16 in the second quarter, but Bryant enjoyed a 6-0 gap to close the lead to 10 with a minute left in the half. Zegarowski and Ashley each scored three points in the run.
• Sophomore Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) hit a 3-pointer to bring the team within 10 points at the 4:37 mark in the third quarter. It would be the closest the Bulldogs would come to the Wildcats for the rest of the game.

STATS

• Bryant shot 82.4 percent from the free throw line, their best mark of the season. They connected on 14-of-17 shots from the charity stripe.
• Palmer had nine assists for the Bulldogs in Tuesday's game. The nine helpers marked a season-best for an individual through the team's first four games.
• In her first career start, Scanlan scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds. She played 26 minutes against the Wildcats.
• Despite early foul trouble, Holloway was the team-leader in rebounds with seven despite playing in just 21 minutes. An NEC Prime Performer a week ago, Holloway again filled out the stat sheet by blocking a shot and collecting a steal to go along with her 11 points and seven rebounds. She shot 5-of-8 from the floor.
• New Hampshire had 17 assists in Tuesday's game, the most by any team Bryant has played this season.
• Bryant outscored the Wildcats in the fourth quarter, 19-14.

GAME NOTES

• Five Bulldogs scored in double figures. The last time Bryant accomplished this feat was on Feb. 18, 2017, when the team hosted Saint Francis U.
• Holloway scored nine of her 11 points in the second half. The sophomore only played nine first half minutes after playing 44 of 45 minutes last week at Maine.
• Bryant is now 4-2 all-time versus New Hampshire.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs are off until after Thanksgiving when the team plays a road contest at Holy Cross on Sunday. The game is set for a noon tip-off and will be played at Holy Cross' Hart Basketball Arena.