FAIRFIELD, CONN. – Despite overcoming a 16-point first half deficit, the Bryant University women's basketball team fell to Sacred Heart in overtime, 70-67, Saturday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center.

Junior guard Tiersa Winder (Baltimore, Md.) had a final look from 3-point range that just missed, securing the win for the Pioneers (11-9, 6-4 Northeast Conference), while the Bulldogs (15-7, 8-3 NEC) held the hosts to just 26 points and just 23 percent shooting in the second half and OT.

Winder led the Black and Gold with 17 points, including 13 in the second half, to go along with four rebounds and two assists, while sophomore center Morgan Olander (Mansfield, Conn.) posted her third-straight double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. Junior Breanna Rucker (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished with points, nine rebounds, and three assists, and senior point guard Jenniqua Bailey (Bloomfield, Conn.) added 11 points, four helpers and four steals.

Sacred Hearts' Adaysha Williams led all scorers with 19 points (12 in the first half) and a team-high nine rebounds, while seniors Katie Shepard (13) and Gabriell Washington (12) combined for 25 points.

From the opening tip, the first half was all Sacred Heart as the hosts took their opening 9-0 run and turned it into a 27-17 edge with just under eight minutes to play in the first half. The margin quickly ballooned to 15 points, 34-19, at the 5:17 mark as the Pioneers took advantage of careless play by the Black and Gold.

In the final minutes of the frame, the Black and Gold began to find their rhythm offensively but, their struggles on the defensive end allowed Sacred Heart to score on seven of their final 10 possessions, granting the hosts a 44-30 halftime advantage.

Bryant came out of the locker room with a sense of urgency, ramping up the defensive effort to hold the Pioneers to 17 percent shooting through the first 10 minutes of the second half, and more importantly, cut the once 16-point margin to just six, 52-46, with 11:32 left on the clock.

Riding the 22-8 run to open the frame, the Black and Gold knotted the score, 52-52, on a Winder fastbreak score with just over eight minutes to play. However, an 8-3 Pioneer run pushed the hosts back in front, 60-55, at the final media break of the contest.

The Bulldogs fought back to take the 61-60 lead on four-straight free throws from Rucker, but a Sacred Heart give-and-go set up Williams for the go-ahead bucket with under a minute to play. On the ensuing possession, Winder earned herself a trip to line, knocking down 1-of-2 to even the score, 62-62, with 40 seconds left.

In their final possession, the Pioneers failed to get a shot off as the stifling Bryant defense earned itself a shot clock violation and one final chance with 8.5 seconds remaining on the clock. Olander's last second shot just rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.

After almost three minutes of scoreless play in OT, Shepard broke the silence with a deep 3-pointer only to be answered by Winder on the other end. Katherine Haines put her team back up three, 67-64, with her first bucket of the contest with just 1:45 left on the clock.

After a made Rucker free throw, the two teams traded baskets but Bryant was forced to foul, sending Shepard to the line. The senior PG made 1-of-2, giving the Black and Gold a chance, but Winder's final look just missed, securing the 70-67 Sacred Heart victory.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs open a home-and-away with Mount St. Mary's, hosting the Mountaineers on Monday (5 p.m.) before heading to Emmitsburg on Saturday.