Pioneers Head to Smithfield for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 Showdown on ESPN3
2/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SACRED HEART (15-11, 13-2 NEC) vs. BRYANT (15-11, 12-3 NEC)
GAME 27 * Smithfield, R.I. * Chace Wellness Center * 7:00 PM
Live Stats | Video | Full Game Notes
Inside the Series...
- This is the 24th meeting between the Pioneers and the Bulldogs. SHU leads the all-time series 13-10 after the Bulldogs edged out the Pioneers 61-59 in the Pitt Center earlier this season
- The teams split the 2014-15 season with each team claiming a win in its home gym
- SHU is 10-3 against Bryant in the Division I era, with its first loss coming in 2013-14 on the road, and the second the following year also at Bryant
- Bryant owns the Division II series 2-7
- The two teams have never faced each other in post season competition
- SHU is 4-6 all-time when playing at Bryant, 4-2 in the Division I era
Scouting the Bulldogs...
- After winning their first 10 Northeast Conference games, the Bryant Bulldogs have cooled down winning just two of their last five games
- Bryant entered the conference schedule 3-8 after topping Vermont 68-52, UMass Lowell 83-64 and New Hampshire 55-42 during the non-conference slate
- Reigning NEC Player of the Year Breanna Rucker and reigning NEC Rookie of the Year Ivory Bailey are leading the Bulldogs at the boards. Rucker is averaging a double-double with 15.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game
Last Time They Met...
- Each team was held to single digits in a period with SHU outscoring Bryant 14-6 in the second, and the Bulldogs winning the third quarter 19-8
- Alissa Tarsi flirted with a double-double totaling eight points and eight rebounds
- Breanna Rucker recoreded a double-double leading the Bulldogs with 17 points, and all players with 15 rebounds
- Bryant's work at the glass was a key factor in the win. The Bulldogs grabbed 45 rebounds to Sacred Heart's 32
- With just 25 seconds to play, the Bulldogs took a 61-59 lead on Klein's lay-in, and the Pioneers were unable to make up the difference before the buzzer
Career Numbers vs. Bryant...
| Name (GP-GS) | PPG | RPG | APG | MPG |
| Adaysha Williams (5-5) | 12.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 36.6 |
| Shelby Hickey (4-1) | 2.0 | 3.75 | 1.0 | 19.5 |
| Lerae Ettienne (7-2) | 4.42 | 2.42 | 0.28 | 12.71 |
| Hannah Kimmel (5-5) | 13.2 | 7.2 | 1.2 | 32.4 |
| Alissa Tarsi (6-1) | 4.67 | 2.83 | 1.0 | 15.33 |
| Tykera Carter (1-0) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| Kelcey Castro (1-1) | 9 | 1 | 2 | 26 |
| Erin Storck (1-0) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
Having the Advantage...
After beating Fairleigh Dickinson by 15 points on Saturday, the Pioneers' scoring margin is now in the black, as SHU averages +0.4 more points than its opponents.
SHU's Hot Hand...
For just the second time this season, Sacred Heart shot over .500 from the floor owning a .549 field goal percentage against the Knights Saturday. This is due in large part to strong shooting from Adaysha Williams (3-3), Shelby Hickey (3-4) and Erin Storck (4-5). Both times SHU shot over .500 this season have resulted in victories.
Winning on the Road...
Sacred Heart goes into Monday's battle with Bryant on a six-game road winning streak after Saturday's win at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Sharing the Ball...
For the first time in over a year, five Pioneers totaled double-digit points Saturday against FDU. Hannah Kimmel led the way with 16. Right behind her was Adaysha Williams with 13, Erin Storck with a career-best 12, Alissa Tarsi with 11 and Tykera Carter with a season-high 10 points. The last time five or more players tallied 10 or more points was on January 17, 2015 in Sacred Heart's high-scoring affair at Saint Francis U. In that game, six Pioneers reached double-digits, with Kimmel and Williams accounting for two of them.
