SMITHFIELD, RI – With 14 days off since its last contest, the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team could have been rusty Saturday at Bryant, but the Pioneers looked like a veteran ballclub. The Pioneers drummed the Bulldogs, 64-40, for their fourth win in a row.

Records:
Bryant: 5-6, 3-4 NEC
Sacred Heart: 6-5, 6-3 NEC

Top Performers:
Adrianne Hagood (SHU): 18 points 
Nikki Johnson (SHU): 10, points, 6 assists
Olivia Dabney (SHU): 9 points, 8 rebounds

Up Next:
The two-game set wraps up Sunday at 4 pm.

Of Note:
A second quarter push gave the Pioneers a comfortable lead going into the half, but after the break SHU slammed the door by outscoring Bryant, 18-8. 

SHU had a great defensive performance for the third game in a row, limiting the Bulldogs to 26.8 percent shooting, including 14.3 percent from three-point range.

Nikki Johnson and Olivia Dabney drilled three-pointers then Jayla Davis' layup put the Pioneers up 24-10 just 86 seconds into the second frame. Tiffany Hammond drilled another three-pointer at the 3:30 mark to put SHU up, 32-17, and even though the Pioneers would not score the rest of the half they took a 32-23 lead into the break.

Two and a half minutes into the third quarter, Juliette Gordon's free throw pulled the Bulldogs within 38-26, but they wouldn't score for the next five minutes and Adrianne Hagood's three-ball put SHU up 46-26. 

Hagood led all players with 18 points thanks to five three-pointers. Johnson was next with 10 points and six assists. Dabney just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.

SHU'a proficiency behind the arc was the difference as the visitors knocked down a season-high 12 three-pointers while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor.