MOUNT ST. MARY'S (7-16, 5-7 NEC) vs. BRYANT (16-7, 9-3 NEC)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 | 4:30 p.m.
Knott Arena | Emmitsburg, Md.
Video: NECFrontRow.com (Adam Pohl, Roy Sigler)
Radio: 1450 AM The Source (Adam Pohl, Roy Sigler)
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | @MountAthletics
PLAY 4KAY/CUPCAKES FOR CHILDREN'S CANCER RECOVERY: Saturday marks the annual Play 4Kay game. The Mount will wear pink shirts during warmups to help raise awareness about breast cancer. The Mount's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will also sell cupcakes and hold a raffle during the game with proceeds going to the Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation.
MOUNT UPDATE: Following a four-game road trip, the Mount returns to Knott Arena for a five-game homestand beginning with Saturday's tilt versus Bryant. The Mountaineers have lost five in a row, but have gone 5-2 at home on the season. As a team, the Mount leads the Northeast Conference with a .355 three-point field goal percentage with Jenn Carney (2nd, .427) and Jacqueline Brewer (5th, .405) ranking in the top five in the league in three-point shooting.
GAME DETAILS: Saturday's game will follow the men's game versus Bryant, which is scheduled for 2 p.m. Both games will be live streamed through NECFrontRow.com with radio coverage being provided by 1450 AM The Source.
LAST TIME OUT: The Mount erased a 10-point second half deficit to force overtime before dropping a 74-72 road decision at Bryant on Monday night. Concluding a four-game road trip, the Mount knotted the score at 67-67 on a lefty layup by Jacqueline Brewer with 14.3 seconds remaining in the second half.
In overtime, the Bulldogs outscored the Mount by a 7-5 margin for the win. For the Mount, Jessica Harris led four scorers in double figures with 15 on the night. Brewer scored 14 points with Jenn Carney and Jody Chickey adding 12 and 11 points, respectively.
ABOUT BRYANT: The third-place Bulldogs have gone 2-2 in their last four games and are coming off back-to-back overtime finishes entering Saturday. Bryant leads the league in points per game (73.6) and rebounding margin (+7.8). Five Bryant players average 32.2 minutes or more per game, including five-time NEC Rookie of the Week, Ivory Bailey, and Breanna Rucker, who is tied for third in the nation with 18 double-doubles. The Bulldogs are 10-1 at home, but have gone 6-6 on the road with a 1-3 record in their last four away from the Chace Athletic Center.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BRYANT: The Mount has posted a 7-3 record in the series with Bryant, which dates back to the initial meeting on March 2, 2009. Of the 10 all-time meetings, four have been decided in overtime. Mount St. Mary's has won four of the five meetings with the Bulldogs at Knott Arena, including last year's overtime thriller.
LAST SEASON VS. BRYANT: Mount St. Mary's swept a pair of games with Bryant a year ago. In the first matchup on Jan. 25 in Emmitsburg, the Mount set a program record with 15 made three pointers in an 84-79 overtime win. Jacqueline Brewer scored a then-career high 27 points.
When the two sides faced off on Feb. 17 in Smithfield, five Mount players scored in double figures in an 84-78 win.
Of the Mount's returners, Brewer was the team's most productive offensive player against the Bulldogs a year ago with 19.0 points per game.
DÉJÀ VU: For the fifth time in Bryan Whitten's eight year career at the Mount, his squad will face the same team in consecutive games. The Mount has gone 3-1 in the second game of back-to-back meetings with teams in the Whitten Era with the last victory coming in a 59-57 overtime win at Monmouth on March 10, 2013 in the NEC Quarterfinals.
NEC STANDINGS: At 11-1 in NEC games, Central Connecticut is the only team to clinch a spot in the eight-team playoffs so far. Mount St. Mary's currently sits fifth in the standings at 5-7, while Bryant is third at 9-3. With six regular season games remaining, the Mount is 2.5 games behind Sacred Heart for fourth place, with the top four teams in the league garnering home games in the first round of the NEC Tournament.
MOUNT AT KNOTT ARENA: Mount St. Mary's, which posted an 11-4 record at Knott Arena during the 2013-14 season, is 53-52 at home under eighth-year Head Coach Bryan Whitten. Since the venue opened prior to the 1987-88 campaign, Mount St. Mary's has put together a 241-121 record. Over the last two seasons, the Mount is 16-6 at home.
UP NEXT: The Mountaineers host Sacred Heart on Monday, Feb. 16, for another crucial Northeast Conference test at 7 p.m.
