SMITHFIELD, R.I.. – For the second straight game, the Sacred Heart University women's basketball team battled a challenging non-conference foe to overtime. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, SHU fell to Bryant by a 74-71 final score on Saturday afternoon in Smithfield, R.I. 

Ny'Ceara Pryor was outstanding in the contest, finishing with her first career triple-double on 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 4-5
Bryant: 4-5
 
Top Performers:
Ny'Ceara Pryor: 25 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals
Sajada Bonner: 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Amelia Wood: 10 points, 6 rebounds
Nalyce Dudley: 10 points, 4 rebounds

How It Happened:
This afternoon's game was evenly contested, with neither team taking a first-half lead larger than six. The Bulldogs opened the game with the first five points before the Pios answered with the following four. SHU went up by one late in the opening quarter following a Nalyce Dudley layup and Sajada Bonner 3-pointer in back-to-back possessions. Bryant ultimately took a 14-13 advantage into the second quarter. 

Sacred Heart led by as much as four on two occasions in the second quarter, the first after another Bonner triple at the 7:42 mark. As was a trend in the game, the Bulldogs were quick to answer, as they tied the score at 24-all with 5:34 left in the half. Bryant went up by as much as six, 35-29, before the end of the second, taking a 35-31 lead into the break. 

The Bulldogs added to the advantage over the opening 2:35 of the third, leading 41-33 with 7:25 remaining. At that point, SHU caught fire with a 9-0 run to go up 42-41 with 5:16 left. Pryor was critical to the surge with three points, a rebound, an assist and a steal. Bryant scored the next four points before another cutting Pryor layup sent SHU into the fourth trailing by one, 45-44. 

The fourth quarter started with a bang, as an Amelia Wood triple and two Pryor free throws put the Pios ahead 49-45 just 1:17 into the frame. The lead began to swing back and forth from there, with the Pioneers going up by as much as four, 56-52, with 5:49 remaining in regulation. 

SHU led or was tied for the next 4:09 until Bryant's Mia Mancini sank an and-one layup with 1:09 left to give the home side a 65-63 advantage. The resilient Pioneers answered on the next possession with a Pryor jumper to knot the score at 65-all. The Bulldogs scored next by splitting a pair of free throws before a Dudley layup gave SHU a 67-66 lead with 18 seconds remaining. Unfortunately for the Pioneers, another late close foul call allowed Bryant to tie the score at 67-67 after another split at the line. Pryor's jumper to end the game just missed, sending SHU to its second consecutive overtime bout. 

In the extra period, Sacred Heart answered a quick Bryant bucket with four straight points on a free throw and a Bonner triple to take a 71-69 lead with 2:50 remaining. Unfortunately for SHU, the Bulldogs scored the final five points on three free throws and a jumper to take the 74-71 home win. 

Despite posting incredible stat lines in almost every game, Pryor still had not tallied a triple-double until this afternoon. The Baltimore, Md., native finished the game with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the second triple-double in program history. The last Pioneer to post a triple-double was Katherine Haines, who tallied 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks against St. Francis Brooklyn on Jan. 19, 2019. Pryor was two points shy of tying her career-best scoring output and tied a career mark with 10 assists.

In addition to her Pryor's banner day, Bonner tied a career-high with 20 points against the Bulldogs. The graduate guard set a new career mark with five made 3-pointers. Wood and Dudley also scored double-digits this afternoon with 10 each. 

Up Next:
Sacred Heart is back at the Pitt Center on Wednesday, Dec. 6, for a 7 p.m. clash against the Highlanders of NJIT.