Bryant downs Wagner, 65-53, in regular season finale

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Bryant University women's basketball team secured a sixth-place finish thanks to a 65-53 win over Wagner on Thursday night in Staten Island. The Bulldogs closed out the regular season with an 8-10 mark against the NEC and will head to Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday, March 9 for the quarterfinal round of the NEC Tournament. 

Four Bulldogs notched double-figures led by junior Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) with 19 points. Senior Masey Zegarowski (Hamilton, Mass.) contributed 15 while Nicole Gallagher (Foxboro, Mass.) added 12. Senior Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W.Va.) posted a double-double of 10 points and a game-high of 12 rebounds. 

GAME INFORMATION
Bryant 65, Wagner 53
Records: Bryant (10-19, 8-10), Wagner (10-19, 6-12)
Location: Spiro Sports Center (Staten Island, N.Y.)

KEY MOMENT

• The Bulldogs erupted in the second quarter outscoring the Seahawks, 24-16, to erase an eight-point deficit. 
• The Gallagher and Zegarowski duo sparked a 14-5 run to take the lead and close out the half. Once the Bulldogs secured the advantage, they didn't look back as they outlasted Wagner, 65-53.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams nearly went basket-for-basket to start the game before Wagner pulled down an offensive rebound and got the putback to fall to propel an 8-0 run.
• Bjelko responded with an offensive board and a putback of her own to end the run. She converted it into a three-point play by drawing the foul and sinking the free throw. Bryant closed out the first quarter trailing four, 13-9.
• Wagner came out to start the second quarter with two quick three's to pull to an eight-point lead but the Bulldogs clawed their way back within four heading into the media timeout, 23-19.
• The Seahawks went on to get one from the stripe coming out of the timeout before a Gallagher three followed by a Zegarowski pull-up at the shot clock buzzer evened the score. The five-point swing sparked a 14-5 run to end the half, 33-29, in Bryant's favor.
• Back-to-back three's from Zegarowski and Taty LaFrance Boyce (Norwich, Conn.) fueled an 8-0 run to kick off the second half as the Bulldogs grew to a 10-point cushion.
• The Bulldogs shot lights out from behind the arc in the third frame shooting 83.3 percent off five-of-six shooting. Gallagher and Zegarowski both went two-for-two from long-distance in the third quarter.
• Wagner held the Bulldogs to just one made field goal in the fourth frame but the Black and Gold tallied 11-of-14 from the line in the fourth quarter to close out the game, 65-53.   

STATS

• Four Bulldogs notched double-figure scoring led by Bjelko with 19. Zegarowski followed with 15 while Gallagher chipped in 12 with four three-pointers. Holloway added a double-double of 10 points, 12 rebounds.
• Zegarowski dished out a game-high six assists.
• LaFrance Boyce contributed five assists and four steals.
• Bryant posted a 46.9 field goal percentage off 23-of-49 shooting.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded Wagner, 38-29.

GAME NOTES

• Bjelko's 19 points are the most the junior has dropped against an NEC opponent.
• LaFrance Boyce tied her career-best of five assists but posted a new career-high in steals with four.
• Holloway's double-double is her 11^th of the season and 47^th of her career.
• The Black and Gold remains undefeated in Staten Island as they grow to 9-0 all-time in the Spiro Sports Center and 18-3 all-time against the Seahawks.

UP NEXT: Fairleigh Dickinson
After tonight's win, the Bulldogs secure a sixth-place seeding in the NEC postseason tournament. Bryant is set to play No. 3 Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey on Monday, March 9 at 7 p.m.