Double-Doubles By Holt And Kucukkaya Help Women's Basketball Top Dowling, 76-62

Bridgeport, Conn. - The University of Bridgeport women's basketball team snapped its five-game losing streak with an East Coast Conference triumph over the visiting Golden Lions of Dowling College, 76-62, on Tuesday evening. The victory improves Bridgeport's record to 5-21 overall and 3-15 in the ECC.  Dowling drops to 4-20 overall and 4-14 in the ECC.

Bridgeport jumped out to an 11 point lead, 28-17, at the 8:55 mark in the first half after a 15-4 run, capped by a three-point play from Tiara Aziz (Sr., Easton, Pa.) The Purple Knights would go on to carry that lead in to the break, 37-33.

Dowling climbed back into the game in the second half to take a 43-40 lead with 15:02 on the clock. Bridgeport would answer with a 10-0 run, highlighted by six straight points, and eight of the ten, from Evelyn Ovner (So., Vallentuna, Sweden), to recapture the lead at 50-43, with 13:14 remaining. Bridgeport would lead the game from that point on, eventually closing the game out at 76-62.

The Purple Knights outrebounded Dowling 37-29, including grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. Shannon Holt (So., Holden, Mass.) pulled in seven of those offensive rebounds as she finished the game with a double-double scoring 16 points and 13 boards. Senior Jennifer Kucukkaya (Sodertalje, Sweden) also recorded a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 assists. Aziz would go on to lead all scorers on the night with 23 points, as she shot an efficient nine-of-eleven from the floor while connecting on both of her three point attempts.

Christine Verrelle led the Golden Lions with 17 points on the night.

Up next for the Purple Knights is their final home game of the 2015 season, as they take on the Lions of Molloy College on Thursday, February 26 at 5:00 p.m. They will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, February 28 versus Queens (NY) College at 3:30 p.m.