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SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Looking to match a previous season-high two-game winning streak, the Bryant University women's basketball team welcomes the Lafayette College Leopards to the Chace Athletic Center for a Sunday afternoon showdown. Bryant will look to move to an unprecedented three games above .500 for the first time in its brief DI history, while the Leopards will try to avoid dropping two in a row.
THE SERIES
Lafayette has won two of the team's three meetings dating back to the 2008-09 season. Last year, the Leopards came away with an 84-80, overtime win at the Chace Athletic Center on Nov. 14, 2010. The home team has won all three games in the series.
LAST TIME OUT
Four players recorded double-digit scoring marks, and two hit double-doubles for the second-straight game, as the Bryant University women's basketball team rolled to a 63-45 victory over Dartmouth College on Wednesday night at Leede Arena.
The Big Green registered just a 23.1 percent shooting clip from the field, hitting only 15-of-65 shots against a stifling zone defense implemented by the Bulldogs. Bryant, meanwhile, hit a season-high 41.2 (21-of-51) percent from the field.
After coming off the bench in her only non-start of the season in a victory over Rhode Island on Nov. 30, junior Meredith Soper (Winthrop, Mass.) continued her impressive stretch of play with her third double-double performance in a row. In addition to her 16 points, the Massachusetts native hauled down 12 boards to go with an assist and one block over 33 minutes of action.
SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS
Lafayette rolls into Smithfield with a 3-6 record, most recently dropping a 12-point decision at home against A-10 foe Saint Joseph's. The Leopards lost three in a row to start the 2011-12 season, rebounded with two straight wins, but have lost three-of-four since.
In the loss against the Hawks, freshman Brya Freeland enjoyed her finest night of her young career with a game-high 21 points, while Danielle Fiacco recorded her fourth double-double of the season, consisted of 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Fiacco currently leads the NCAA with an astounding 5.0 blocked shots per game – two blocks ahead of Baylor All-American Brittney Griner. The Leopards' center has sent back a total of 45 shots in nine games this season – more stuffs than any Patriot League or Northeast Conference team (aside from Fairleigh Dickinson) has collected this season as a whole.
The sophomore ranks first on the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.1 rpg), as well.
LAST YEAR IN SMITHFIELD
After trailing for nearly all of the second half and with time running out in regulation, Bryant stormed back to force overtime against Lafayette, but the valiant effort would not be enough to get past the Leopards as the Bulldogs fell, 84-80, at the Kirby Sports Center.
Trailing by six at halftime, Bryant went toe-to-toe with the home team before going ahead with under two to play. After the teams swapped baskets, the Leopards scored the equalizer on a driving layup to send the game into overtime with score knotted up, 72-72.
With 46 seconds left to play in overtime, Danielle Fiaco gave the Leopards a two-point lead on a pair of free throws. A few more clutch free throws were enough to give the Leopards the win.
CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
Bryant University Athletics offers more ways than ever before to watch, listen or follow your Bulldogs during all the action even when you can't make it to the court! Head to www.bryantbulldogs.tv for information about single-game and season broadcasting packages, where you can watch state-of-the-art webcasts of the Bulldogs for most home games. Live stats can be found at www.bryantbulldogs.com for every contest, and you can follow @BryantGameday on Twitter for live, in-game scoring updates throughout the season.
For continuing coverage of Bryant University women's basketball, check back at www.bryantbulldogs.com, and be sure to follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.
