Posted: Feb 14, 2020

Bulldogs travel to CCSU for Saturday clash

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Bryant University women's basketball team looks to grow to its biggest winning streak of the season when they hit the road to take on Central Connecticut for the second time this season on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 1 p.m.

THE MATCHUP
The Bulldogs are set to meet with CCSU for the second time this year on Saturday, Feb. 15. The meeting will be the second of the year for the two teams as Bryant took the first one just one week prior, 59-47. Bryant owns the all-time series record 13-10 but trails the Blue Devils, 7-4, in New Britain. Last season in Connecticut, the Bulldogs fell to the Blue Devils, 66-65, off a buzzer-beater.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
The Blue Devils have not played a game since the last meeting with Bryant last week. The Bulldogs set CCSU back to 2-21 overall and 1-11 against the NEC. Bryant held the Blue Devils to just 47 points off 19-of-62 shooting from the field. Only one member of Central Connecticut notched double-figures in scoring in Bruna Vila Artigues with 11 points. Vila Artigues sank three-of-five from behind the arc.

Junior Ashley Berube leads the Blue Devils averaging 12.7 a night and 13.1 against conference foes. However, the Bulldogs held Berube to just five points and five rebounds just one week ago. Berube is also the conference's leading shot-blocker racking up 39 on the year and averaging 1.70. Against the Black and Gold, Berube denied one.

LAST TIME OUT: ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN
Bryant picked up its second-straight win with a 78-59 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday night. Senior Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) helped the Bulldogs post its best offensive game of the season as she led with her first 20+ point performance of the year with 22. She accompanied the scoring outburst with 14 rebounds. Nicole Gallagher (Foxboro, Mass.) trailed with 15 points while Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.) each added 13 apiece.

BEGINNERS LUCK
Gallagher posted six consecutive double-figure scoring performances in her NEC debut. The freshman point guard broke the double-digit scoring streak by posting a combined 13 points across five games. Against St. Francis Brooklyn, Gallagher posted a career-high against the NEC with 15 points, leading the Black and Gold from long-distance shooting 4-of-5 from behind the arc. The rookie also leads the team by a wide margin in made three-pointers against the NEC with 21 through the first ten conference games.

70 AND BELOW
In all seven of Bryant's wins this season, the Bulldogs have held their opponents to under 70 points. The Black and Gold are 7-8 when holding opponents under 70 points and 0-7 when opponents score more than 70. Bryant ranks fourth in the conference with a 65.5 scoring defense.

THE NEC CAN ONLY HAVE ONE DAWG
The Bulldogs topped the Terriers, 78-59, for its second-straight win. The Black and Gold posted a number of season highs on the offensive end including a season-best of 78 points. The Bulldogs also posted its best field goal percentage of the year shooting 53.6 percent off 30-of-56 shooting. The offensive outburst also saw four Bulldogs post double-figure scoring, including Holloway's first 20-point performance of the year. Bryant also outrebounded the Terriers, 40-23, marking the biggest rebound margin so far this season.