Bulldogs fall to Sacred Heart in NEC Quarterfinals

LORETTO, Pa.  – Sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) posted 23 points and 19 rebounds, but the Bryant University women's basketball team fell in the Northeast Conference Championship quarterfinal, 80-63, against the Sacred Heart University Pioneers on Wednesday night in Loretto.

GAME INFORMATION

No. 4 Sacred Heart 80, No. 5 Bryant 63

Records: Bryant 9-21 (8-10 NEC), Sacred Heart 14-16 (9-9 NEC)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)

COACH BURKE'S COMMENTS:

"I am kind of disappointed with the effort today, we definitely struggled offensively. When we do that, it is very tough to get our bounce defensively. I thought Sacred Heart did a great job, they came in prepared, the players came in with a passion about doing the things it takes to get your team into the semi-finals. We obviously fell short, we've been struggling the last five games or so, that seemed to carry over to tonight unfortunately. We're a young team, I hope that we can use this as a lesson, a building block moving forward on preparation, and doing what it takes to advance."

KEY MOMENTS

• SHU's Tykera Carter connected on a 3-point shot with 4:24 remaining in the first quarter to tie the game at 12 and shift the momentum toward the Pioneers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams played a tight first quarter, with SHU coming away with a three-point lead, 21-18, at the end of it. Sophomore Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) scored four points in the frame, including the game's opening basket on Bryant's first possession.
• The Pioneers opened up the game in the second quarter, taking a 43-31 lead into the half behind 11 points in the frame from Katherine Haines. Junior Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) knocked down a 3-point basket to close out the half for Bryant on an assist from classmate Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.).
• Holloway scored five points in the quarter, while freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.) and redshirt junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) each added four, but SHU outscored the Bulldogs, 18-13, in the third quarter. After just five first-half rebounds, Holloway had 11 through the end of the quarter.
• Four Bulldogs scored in the final frame, one which Bryant tied Sacred Heart in with each team scoring 19 points. Ashley led both sides with eight points in the frame.

STATS

• Holloway was a rebound shy of her second 20-point, 20-rebound game of the season.
• Three Bulldogs scored in double figures. Holloway led both sides with 23, while Ashley scored 12 and Scanlan added 10.
• Palmer finished with a team-high four assists.
• The Bulldogs shot 90 percent from the free throw line, connecting on 18 of 20 shots from the stripe.
• Bryant turned the ball over just 12 times in the game.

GAME NOTES

• Holloway recorded her 17th double-double of the season and seventh in a row against the Terriers. She now leads the conference in the statistic, no longer tied with Wagner's Sierra Clark.
• The sophomore finished the season with 794 career points, just four shy of 10th place in Division I program history (Alex Klein).
• Wednesday marked the final game of senior captain Kathleen Everson's (Farmingville, N.Y.) career. Everson played in 44 games for the Bulldogs in her time in Smithfield, including all 30 as a senior.
• The game had an 8 p.m. start time, the latest of the season for Bryant.
• The Bulldogs competed in the NEC Tournament for the sixth-consecutive, qualifying in every season they have been eligible in the Division I era.