BULLDOGS FACE BOBCATS IN NEC SHOWDOWN
Full Game Notes
Watch: www.bryantbulldogs.tv
Live Stats: www.bryantbulldogs.com
Follow along on Twitter: @BryantGameday
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team welcomes long-time rival Quinnipiac to the Chace Athletic Center for a matchup with enormous conference implications. Both the Bulldogs and Bobcats boast identical 4-2 records in the NEC, while Quinnipiac owns the head-to-head advantage with a victory against Bryant earlier this season.
THE SERIES
In a series that dates all the way back to Bryant's first season in 1977-78, today's contest is the 36th meeting between the Bulldogs and Bobcats. Bryant holds a slim 19-16 edge all-time, but since joining the Division I ranks, the Bobcats own a 4-2 record against the Bulldogs dating back to 2008-09 - including wins in the last three meetings, with the most recent coming earlier this season, a 67-56 victory in December.
LAST TIME OUT: BULLDOGS CLIP SEAHAWKS
Propelled by a career-high 26 points from junior Danielle Douglas, the Bryant University women's basketball team edged Wagner College, 71-67, on Jan. 16 at the Spiro Sports Center.
Two days after seeing a three-game winning streak snapped on the road against Mount St. Mary's, the Bulldogs improved to 5-0 in contests played following losses, sending the Seahawks to their 10th straight defeat.
If not for Douglas, who finished the afternoon 8-for-13 from the field, the Bulldogs might not have been so fortunate. But the Silver Springs, Md., native reeled an even 13 points in both halves while shattering her previous career high by six points.
Two other Bulldogs joined her in double digits, as senior Brittany Stahura and junior Katie Whittington both logged 11 points apiece, with the latter setting a new season high in scoring. Stahura was particularly effective in the second half when she picked up nine of her 11 points on the day and garnered a block, while Whittington finished 3-of-8 from the field while dishing a team-high five assists.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Winners of seven of their last nine and owners of the most prolific scoring offense in the NEC, the Bobcats head to Smithfield looking to keep pace with in-state rival Sacred Heart.
Quinnipiac owns the best road winning percentage in the conference with a 7-1 record and averages a league-best 67.5 points per game. Redshirt junior Felicia Barron ranks third in the conference averaging 17.5 points per game, while freshman Jasmine Martin and sophomore Brittany McQuain both average double-digit figures with 11.5 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.
QU continues to dominate league action in rebounds as it ranks first in rebounds per game with Bryant (42.5). The Bobcats also lead the conference with an average of 27.53 defensive rebounds per contest.
Sophomore forward Camryn Warner ranks fourth in the conference standings in blocks per game (1.47) with 25 total on the year. Freshman Jasmine Martin leads the Bobcats and ranks fifth in the NEC with a 78.7 free-throw shooting percentage (48-of-61). Martin is the only rookie to have reached the 100-point mark this year with195 points.
THIS PAST DECEMBER AT QUINNIPIAC
Two Bulldogs recorded double-doubles Saturday afternoon in the NEC season opener, but 27 turnovers plagued Bryant as it fell to Quinnipiac, 67-56, on the road on Dec. 3, 2011.
The contest was a tale of two halves for both teams. The first featured clean play through much of the frame and kept a tight score throughout, but neither side came out the same in the second, as Bryant and Quinnipiac went a combined 15-for-64 in the final 20 minutes and committing a combined 25 second-session turnovers.
All-in-all, the teams went a combined 15-for-64 (.234) from the field in the second session and both sides would finish shooting just above 30 percent on the day. The Bulldogs were paced by double-doubles from Ankoma-Mensa (15 points, game-high 15 rebounds) and Meredith Soper (14 points, 14 rebounds), while senior Brittany Stahura pulled in 11 boards of her own.
Bryant would commit 27 turnovers on the day with Quinnipiac giving away 14 but scoring 20 points off Bulldog miscues. The Bobcats put up 20 steals, led by Felicia Barron's 12 steals to compliment a 16-point outing. Brittany McQuain also had a double-double for the home side with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
BUILT TO BOUNCE BACK
The Bulldogs are undefeated (5-0) in games immediately following losses this season, most recently keeping that streak intact with a victory against Wagner last Monday following a defeat at Mount St. Mary's two days earlier.
CAN A BROTHER GET A BLOCK?
For the first time this season, the Bulldogs were held without a rejection in a single game, as Mount St. Mary's went the entire 40 minutes of regulation without seeing any of their shots stuffed. On the year, Bryant ranks just ninth in the conference, averaging a paltry 1.88 blocks per game.
LET'S STAY AWHILE
After playing just one game within the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center in the month of December and after playing eight of its first 12 games this season on the road, Bryant opens up a season-long four-game home stretch beginning with today's game. The Bulldogs will be home through the end of the month, with contests against league foes CCSU, Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson after today.
The Bulldogs have posted a 6-1 record at the Chace this year, and are 27-16 in Smithfield since the start of the 2008-09 season. Last year, Bryant went 7-6 with a 5-4 mark against NEC teams within the friendly confines of The Chace.
DOUGLAS IS DANDY
Paced by a career-high 26-point output last Monday against Wagner, Danielle Douglas led all Bulldogs last weekend with 33 total points over two games. The Silver Springs, Md., native also delivered eight assists - second most over that span - and posted a 44.0 percent shooting percentage by going 11-of-25 from the field.
But it was Douglas' performance against the Seahawks which truly stood out. The junior went off for a career-high 26 points, a mark that helped the Bulldogs fend off the Seahawks for a critical conference win. That scoring output now stands as the most for any Bryant player this season.
TIME TO DOUBLE-DOUBLE DOWN
Sophomore forward Naana Ankoma-Mensa leads all Bulldogs currently averages a double-double per game with 12.8 ppg and 10.0 rpg on the season.
SOPER BARELY MISSES TRIPLE-DOUBLE
In one of her finest outings of the season, junior Meredith Soper was one assist shy of a triple-double against Robert Morris on Jan. 9. It would have been the program's first such accomplishment since current assistant coach Lynne-Ann Kokoski last did so against Bridgeport on Dec. 19, 2007.
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 full- season broadcasting packages, where you can watch 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 score updates.
