Hartford heads to Smithfield for Sunday matinee

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Bryant University women's basketball will play its final non-conference home game of the season when the team hosts the University of Hartford Hawks on Sunday at 1 p.m.

THE PARTICULARS
Opponent: University of Hartford
Game Time: Sunday, Dec. 10 – 1 p.m.
Watch Live: NEC Front Row
Live Stats:  Sidearm
Tickets: Purchase
Game Notes: Hartford | Bryant

SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Hartford enters Sunday's game with a 5-4 record and winners of its last two games. The Hawks last were in action on Thursday, when the team topped Central Connecticut, 68-52.

Lindsey Abed leads the Hawks in scoring, averaging 12.8 points per game. She is one of four Hartford players averaging double figures, along with Sierra DaCosta, Janelle Harrison and Darby Lee.

The Hawks are coached by Kim McNeill, who is in her second season in Hartford. To date, McNeill has led Hartford to a 22-18 record.

SERIES HISTORY vs. HARTFORD
This is the first meeting between the two schools in the Division I era for Bryant. While in Division II, Bryant led the all-time series with Hartford, 6-1.

NOTHING CAN STOP ME, I'M HOLLOWAY UP?
After being named to the NEC All-Rookie team last season, sophomore Sydney Holloway started up right where she left off at Brown, where she led Bryant with 19 points and nine rebounds. Holloway has earned double-doubles on three occasions this year, last versus Brown in a 23-point, 14-rebound performance vs. Brown. As a freshman, Holloway had two double-doubles in 32 games. She has three in just nine outings as a sophomore.

BUDDING STAR?
After a breakout season in 2016-17, Naomi Ashley has been a force for the Bryant Bulldogs through the early stages of the season. Ashley was a rebound shy of a double-double against Boston College, going for 12 points and nine rebounds. In the team's second game, Ashley scored eight points and pulled down six boards off the glass, also coming away with three steals. The highlight of Ashley's season came at Holy Cross, when the red-shirt junior had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 9 steals against the Crusaders. Ashley has posted averages of 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals as a redshirt junior.

DROPPING DIMES
?Kierra Palmer led the NEC in assists last season, totaling 155 on the season (4.8/game). In 2017-18, Palmer had a season-best nine assists when the University of New Hampshire Wildcats visited the Chace Athletic Center on Nov. 21. She currently fourth in the NEC with 3.6 per game.

DOUBLE TROUBLE?
Sydney Holloway and Naomi Ashley have been a dynamic duo over Bryant's first five games this sea- son. Either Holloway or Ashley have been the leading scorer or rebounder in eight of the team's nine games.

SCANNING THE BOARDS
Freshman Hannah Scanlan has been a key part of the team for the Bulldogs this season. The Rumson, New Jersey, native has posted two double-scoring games and has two consecutive double rebound performances.

WOMAN OF STEAL?
In a two-point overtime defeat at Holy Cross, Naomi Ashley set a Bryant Division I program record for steals in a game with nine. She bested the previous best of eight set by Danielle Douglas in the 2010-2011 season. The program record belongs to Beth Connealy (now Wandyes), who had 10 in a game versus Springfield in 1995. Ashley had another big theft game vs. Rhode Island, coming away with six steals vs. the Rams in the first round of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament.

OCEAN STATE TIP-OFF
For the second consecutive season, Bryant competed in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, a four-team tournament with each Division I basketball program in Rhode Island. Bryant finished as the runner-up in the tournament, topping Rhode Island in the first round before falling to Brown in the tournament championship.

BAKERS DOZEN
Bryant will play 13 regular-season home games, beginning with the home opener against New Hampshire on Nov. 21. They also host Boston University (Nov. 29), Binghamton (Dec. 7), and Hartford (Dec. 10), as well as all NEC opponents.

POWER FIVE DRAW
When Bryant opened the season at Boston College, it marked the eighth time over the past five years that the Bulldogs have played a team in one of the Power-5 conferences. Last season, Bryant played at Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Providence and opened the season at Seton Hall in 2015.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Bryant is scheduled to play six schools that made national postseason appearances last season. Robert Morris received a bid into the NCAA Tournament, while Sacred Heart, New Hampshire and James Madison all participated in the WNIT. Saint Francis U and Brown were both selected to participate in the WBI.

EVERSON NAMED CAPTAIN?
Bryant senior Kathleen Everson was named a captain ahead of the 2017-18 season by head coach Mary Burke. Everson, a forward from Farmingville, New York, has averaged 3.1 points per game this season, setting new career highs in points on two occasions. Versus Brown in the team's second game of the season, Everson scored 10 points against the Bears.

OCEAN STATE OF MIND
Of the four Division I schools in Rhode Island, Bryant has had the highest win total over the past ve seasons. Bryant has collected 76 wins over the past ve seasons, which is 21 more than the next highest total (Brown).

BRYANT ADDS TWO
Bryant University women's basketball added two future Bulldogs during the early signing period, recieiving National Letters of Intent from Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Alexandra Hart (Saco, Maine).

TICKET TO RIDE
Season ticket packages are available for the 2017-18 Bryant University men's and women's basketball seasons. Fans can purchase tickets online at bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or by calling the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-319-TIXX.

FRONT ROW SEAT
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference are once again affiliated with the Pack Network and NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2017-18 athletic seasons, including live, free-of-charge, high-definition broadcasts of all Bulldog home women's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard, state-of-the-art graphics and DVR functionality. Visit NECFrontRow.com for more information and a complete schedule of events.