After slow start, UAlbany women's basketball cruises past Bryant 60-34

PHOTOGRAPHER: Peter R. Barber

UAlbany's Helene Haegerstrand takes a shot between Bryant's Mariona Planes Fortyny and Alana Perkins during the Great Danes' 60-34 victory on Wednesday.

ALBANY — It took the UAlbany women’s basketball team almost seven minutes to score a point.

Then the Great Danes could barely miss.

Trailing 8-0, UAlbany outscored Bryant 17-2 over the final 5:04 of the first quarter and never led by less than nine in the second half on the way to a 60-34 victory at SEFCU Arena on Wednesday night that stopped a three-game losing streak.

Morgan Haney and Helene Haegerstrand led the Great Danes with 13 and 10 points, respectively, mostly during a 35-20 first half.

Haegerstrand scored all of her points during the 17-2 run and played just 16 minutes in the game, as head coach Colleen Mullen used her bench for much of the second half. UAlbany’s reserves outscored the Bryant bench 29-5.

After the Great Danes came out shooting cold to start the game, Kayla Cooper finally got UAlbany on the board with a layup with 5:04 left in the first quarter, followed by a drive and a three-pointer by Haney to get within 8-7.

Then Haegerstrand took over, hitting a jumper, two threes and a layup with 45 seconds left to make it 17-10.

The Great Danes got their first double-digit lead of the game when Haney hit a three to make it 21-10, and her jumper made it 35-20 with 1:18 left in the second quarter.

UAlbany held Bryant to 15-for-50 (30.0%) from the field and forced 27 turnovers.

Mariona Planes Fortuny led Bryant (1-7) with 12 points.