Fourth Quarter Rally Lifts Bryant By Women's Basketball

A fourth quarter surge lifted Bryant past the Central Connecticut women's basketball team, 65-53, on Monday night in Northeast Conference action. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Blue Devils and dropped them to 8-13 overall and 5-5 in Northeast Conference play.

Junior Aleah Epps led CCSU with 14 points and seven rebounds to go with four assists and four steals. 

Bryant improved to 13-8 overall and 10-0 in NEC play.

HIGHLIGHTS

Central erased a two-point halftime deficit by outscoring Bryant, 15-5, in the final 3:57 of the third quarter to build a 48-41 lead. A three-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 36-31 lead before freshman Andi Lydon started the CCSU rally with a layup to start a run of 10 unanswered points for the Blue Devils.

A three-pointer by freshman Kiana Patterson tied the game at 36-36, and a layup by sophomore Emma Stroyan gave Central the lead. A foul shot by senior Kayla Miller made it 41-36. After a layup by Bryant interrupted the spurt, Patterson hit a three-pointer and Miller hit two foul shots to give CCSU its biggest lead of the night at 46-38.

Bryant got a three-pointer from Tiersa Winder with 10 seconds left in the period, before Epps hit a running jumper at the buzzer to give CCSU a 48-41 heading into the final period.

The Bulldogs scored six straight points to open the fourth quarter and took the lead for good after a three-pointer from Kierra Palmer made it 50-49. Bryant would score 10 unanswered at one point in the period, while holding Central without a field goal to remain unbeaten in conference play.

Central would battle back from an eight-point deficit in the first quarter to tie the game at 18-18 on a three-pointer by Patterson early in the second quarter. The Blue Devils took a 25-22 lead after a layup by Miller. The Bulldogs would come back to take a 29-27 lead into the intermission.

Central Connecticut shot 36.7 percent overall (18-of-49) and was 12-of-20 (.600) from the foul line. The Blue Devils held a 36-33 advantage rebounding.

Bryant was led by Breanna Rucker who scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Winder added 18 points. The Bulldogs shot 40.4 percent overall (21-of-52) and was 18-of-22 (.818) from the foul line. 

The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Saint Francis U in a 1:00 p.m. game.