BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – Senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) exploded for a game-high 27 points to lead the Bryant University women's basketball team to a 65-53 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn, Monday afternoon at the Pope Center.

The Bulldogs (9-4, 2-0 Northeast Conference) pick up their third-straight victory and open league play a perfect 2-0 for the second consecutive season while the Terriers (3-11, 0-2 NEC) wrap up the opening weekend of NEC play still in search of their first win.

Jenniqua Bailey put up 27 points on 9-of-10 shooting to go along with four assists and three rebounds to lead the Black and Gold, while junior guard Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) finished with 16 points as she continues her strong play in the backcourt.

Freshman guard Ivory Bailey (Wyomissing, Pa.) put up 10 points and a team-high three steals, with Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) posting eight points and 11 boards.

Leah Fechko paced St. Francis with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Jaymee Veney finished with 14 points. Senior guard Eilidh Simpson registered 12 points off the bench.

It was all Black and Gold in the first seven minutes of the game as the visitors sprinted to a 15-0 lead behind sharp shooting and stifling defense. St. Francis eventually found its footing, scoring on three-straight possessions, but Bryant continued to dominate extending its lead to 17 points, 24-7, midway through the first half.

The Bulldogs maintained their commanding lead through the six-minute mark but, a 10-2 Terrier run brought the hosts within single digits for the first time since the opening minutes, 30-21, at the final media break of the period. Bryant closed the half with Jenniqua Bailey's third And-one, and 16th point, of the frame to take a 35-26 edge into the locker room.

Winder wasted little time helping the Black and Gold extend their halftime lead as the junior continued her stellar second half play with a cool seven points to widen the margin to 16, 44-28, just three minutes into the period. However, a 13-0 Terrier run granted the hosts new life as they climbed back to within just four, 46-43, with 12 minutes left to play.

An extended 6-0 Bulldog run, which lasted nearly six minutes, helped Bryant inch its lead up to nine points with 5:20 left on the clock, before three-straight free throws from Simpson closed the gap to six with time winding down.

Bryant's lead remained slim, but constant through the final minutes of the game, never falling below six points, preserving the 65-53 Bulldog victory.

Looking ahead, the Black and Gold will look to go 3-0 in the NEC for the first time in program history when they host Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first leg of a Bulldog basketball doubleheader.