Women's Basketball Hosts Bryant Saturday in Annual Think Pink Game
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SACRED HEART (10-9, 5-4 NEC) VS BRYANT (15-6, 8-2 NEC)
GAME 20 * Fairfield, Conn. * Coach Bike Court at the William H. Pitt Center * 1:00 PM
Live Stats and Video
Inside the Series...
- This is the 22nd meeting between the Pioneers and Bulldogs
- Earlier this year, Bryant squeaked out a 71-67 win with last-minute foul shots
- Sacred Heart is 10-2 in the Division I era, with its first loss coming last year on the road
- Bryant took the Division II series 2-7
- The two teams have never faced each other in postseason competition
Last Time They Met...
A potential game-winning three point basket by Gabrielle Washington with under five seconds remaining was just short, hitting the front rim, as the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team fell at first place Bryant, 71-67, at the Chace Athletic Center. The Bulldogs had just taken the lead, 69-67, with two free throws by Tiersa Winder three seconds after Adaysha Williams had tied the game with 16 seconds left. After the Washington miss, Breanna Rucker made 2-2 from the line with two seconds on the clock to clinch the game. Hannah Kimmel led SHU with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Katie Shepard added a season-high 15 and Alissa Tarsi came off the bench to score 12 on 6-8 shooting. The Pioneers lose their second straight to drop to 8-9 and 3-4 in the Northeast Conference. Winder scored a game-high 27, while Rucker recorded a double double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the Bulldogs improve 13-5 and 6-1 in league play.
Scouting the Bulldogs...
- Bryant, who led the league through the first half of conference play but recently fell in to a tie for second place, comes into Saturday's game on a one-game win streak having topped Saint Francis
- Bryant is led by Breanna Rucker who is averaging a double-double for the season with 16.4 points and 12 rebounds per game, which ranks her sixth in the country
- Averaging 73.9 points per game this season, Bryant leads the league in scoring and in scoring margin averaging an even five points more than their opponents
- Mary Burke, the four-time Rhode Island Women's Basketball Coach of the Year ('07, '08, '13, '14), will enter her 24th season as head coach of the Bryant women's basketball team in 2014-15
Last Time Out...
Hannah Kimmel recorded her second double-double in as many games pacing the Pioneers with 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as the Sacred Heart women's basketball team defeated Wagner 73-59 in the Spiro Sports Center on Staten Island. The red-shirt junior was one of four Pioneers who reached double digit scoring in Tuesday's contest. Gabrielle Washington (Mesa, Ariz.) and Adaysha Williams (LaCrosse, Wis.) put 14 points on the board each for Sacred Heart, while Lerae Ettienne (Kensington, Md.) totaled 10 as SHU improves to 10-9 on the season and 5-4 in NEC play.
Hannah's Seeing Double...
Hannah Kimmel has recorded a double-double in six of the Pioneers' nine Northeast Conference games this season. This past week, the red shirt junior posted double-doubles in consecutive games with 13 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's overtime win against Mount St. Mary's, and 18 points and 11 rebounds in SHU's 73-59 victory over Wagner Tuesday night. Dating back to the non-conference finale win over Big East member Villanova, Kimmel has seven double-doubles in Sacred Heart's last 10 games.
Washington Setting New Levels of Efficiency...
Even though Gabrielle Washington isn't putting up the points we have come accustomed to over the last three years, the senior shooting guard is making the most of her opportunities. In her last four games, Washington is shooting 54.7% from the floor (23-42).
Shepard's Service...
Senior point guard Katie Shepard, who is second in the league averaging 5.2 assists per game, has a knack for finding the open player. She has dished out at least five assists in six of the Pioneers' last seven games including tying her career-best handing out nine in the SHU's 82-77 win over the Saint Francis U Red Flash.
