Bulldogs drop Sunday afternoon affair to Mount St. Mary's, 68-63

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) and freshman Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) each posted double-doubles, but the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers Sunday, 68-63, at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield.

GAME INFORMATION

Mount St. Mary's 68, Bryant 63

Records: Mount St. Mary's 5-8 (2-0 NEC), Bryant 1-12 (0-2 NEC)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

KEY MOMENTS

• With just under seven minutes remaining in the game, Mount St. Mary's Rebecca Lee grabbed an offensive rebound and was able to connect on the put back attempt to give the Mountaineers a four-point lead.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams played extremely close over the course of the game, with no team ever having more than an eight-point lead.
• The first quarter ended with both teams knotted up, 12-12. Redshirt junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) and Holloway each posted four points each in the frame for the Bulldogs.
• Mount entered the second half with a one-point lead after outscoring Bryant in the second quarter, 23-22. Bjelko came out strong for the Bulldogs in the second frame, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in the second quarter alone.
• Both teams each scored 19 points in the third quarter to keep the game within a point. Holloway scored six points and pulled down five rebounds in the frame.
• Mount St. Mary's was able to create separation and ultimately outscored the Bulldogs by four, 14-10, in the final quarter.

STATS

• Bjelko ended the game with career-bests in points, 12, and rebounds, 14. It was the first double-double of her career.
• Holloway posted her fourth 20-point game of the season versus the Mountaineers, ending the game with 21 points. It was also her fifth double-double of the season, ending the game tied with Bjelko for a game-high 14 rebounds.
• Ashley continued to be an all-around presence for the Bulldogs. The Hamilton, Ontario, native finished with 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.

GAME NOTES

• Bryant out-rebounded Mount St. Mary's, 41-30.
• The Black and Gold turned the ball over a season-low 13 times against the Mountaineers. The team also had 15 assists for the first time since Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) went down with an injury against Brown on Dec. 3.
• Sophomore Stephanie Lesko (Rumson, N.J.) scored her 100th-career point on Sunday. Lesko finished a fast break opportunity when Bjelko corralled her 10th rebound of the afternoon and started the play in transition.
• Ashley scored her 300th career point and had her 100th career assist versus the Mountaineers.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will welcome Central Connecticut on Saturday, Jan. 6 for a 3 p.m. contest with the Blue Devils. Tickets start at just $3 as part of an online-only holiday promotion and can be purchased here.