Bulldogs topped 94-48 in Holloway homecoming

MORGANTOWN, W. VA. – In the first ever meeting with a BIG 12 opponent, the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to No. 25 West Virginia, 94-48, Thursday morning.

Junior Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) returned home for the morning matchup as her and senior Haley Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) led the team with 16 points each in Holloway's homecoming.

GAME INFORMATION
West Virginia 94, Bryant 48
Records:  Bryant (2-2), West Virginia (3-0)
Location: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W. Va.)

COACH BURKE COMMENTS

"For the first three quarters we met the challenges as they are obviously a very athletic and very talented team," said head coach Mary Burke. "But I was happy with how we competed. We went out there and tried to execute and I thought we got some necessary stops and had the ability to score. In the fourth quarter, we definitely got a little out of control with turnovers and the inability to get stops. For the first three quarters I thought we managed it well, and the fourth quarter just got a little bit away from us."

KEY MOMENT

• West Virginia went on an 11-3 run to start the game.
• The Bulldogs would bring the score as close as five but two quick baskets put West Virginia up 10 going into the second quarter.
• The Mountaineers outscored Bryant 23-8 in the fourth quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Connors hit a three to put the Bulldogs within five with less than a minute to go in the first quarter. West Virginia responded by hitting a three and scoring a fast break layup in under 30 seconds to put the Mountaineers up 10 to close out the quarter.
• Half way through the second quarter, West Virginia went on a 13-3 run to further its lead.
• Holloway came alive in the third quarter scoring the next six Bulldog baskets to start the half. However, she picked up her fourth foul forcing her to come out leaving Bryant scoreless until the final 1:30 of the quarter.
• The Mountaineers held Bryant to just eight points in the fourth quarter. After Holloway fouled out of the game with 5:37 remaining, West Virginia went on a 14-2 run to end the game.

STATS

• Holloway and Connors led the Bulldogs with 16 points apiece as Connors accounted for over 50% of Bryant's scoring in the first half.
• Freshman Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) led Bryant with seven rebounds and scored a career-high of three points.
• Point guard Kierra Palmer (Aberdeen, Md.) picked up a season high of three steals. She was one shy of tying her career-best.
• Kandis Taylor (Sunrise, Fla.) score a career-high of five points while grabbing two rebounds and dishing out two assists.
• Transfer junior Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.) picked up her first career rebounds tallying two.
• Sophomore Julia Kelner (Fayettesville, N.Y.) picked up Bryant's only block of the game.
• Junior guard Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) sank her first three-pointer of the season. Zegarowski and Connors were the only two Bryant players to score in the first quarter. 
• The Bulldogs matched the Mountaineers with 37 rebounds each.
• West Virginia scored 43 of its points off Bryant turnovers.

GAME NOTES

• This is the first time ever that Bryant has faced a BIG 12 opponent as the Bulldogs record an 0-1 record against the conference.
• The Black and Gold drop to 0-2 against ranked opponents. Bryant lost to #24 Syracuse in 2010.

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs take the short trip to Boston University on November 20 at 7 p.m.