BRYANT MEN UPSET NO. 3 ADELPHI 69-48 IN NCAA FIRST ROUND
John Williams Scores 23 Against Nation's Top Defensive Team Box Score
WALTHAM, Mass. – Bryant University guard John Williams (Springfield, Mass.) showed why he was selected as a regional all-American as the junior scored 23 points and drained four three-point field goals in the first half to lead the sixth-seeded Bulldogs to a 69-48 upset over third-seeded Adelphi University Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Regional tournament.
Just as they did last year, the Bulldogs pulled off a first-round upset to earn a spot in the regional semifinals. A year ago, it was second-seeded C.W. Post falling victim to the Bulldogs in the first round, and this year it was the Panthers of Adelphi who ran into a red-hot Bryant squad looking to return to the regional championship for the second-straight year. The win is the 14th of Bryant's last 16 games.
Adelphi came into the game leading the nation in scoring defense (55.0 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (37.4 percent). But it didn't look that way early as Bryant raced out to an 8-0 lead and pulled in front 13-6 on a three-pointer from the top of the key by Williams with 15:10 remaining in the half.
After Adelphi closed to within a point, 25-24 with under six minute to go, Williams again calmly sank a pair of deep NBA-range three's to give Bryant it's largest lead of the game, 34-24 with just under three minutes remaining.
Ahead 36-29 at the half, Bryant got a scare midway through the second half when John Williams (17 points in the first half), picked up his fourth foul, sending him to the bench with 12:26 remaining in the contest. But with their point guard and leading scorer on the bench, the Bulldogs never skipped a beat.
With Mike Williams (Ellington, Conn.) controlling the middle with his defense, the Bulldogs outscored Adelphi 14-6 over the next seven minutes, as Williams returned with Bryant comfortably ahead, 62-44 with 4:48 left.
Mike Williams finished the game with 15 rebounds and a season-high seven blocks for Bryant (school record for blocks in a game is 11, held by Williams). Chris Burns, who helped run the Bryant offense with John Williams on the bench, finished with 13 points including eight free throws that helped seal the win down the stretch.
“John (Williams) and Chris play very well together,” said Bryant coach Max Good following the game. “It is almost like having two point guards in the game for us.”
Bryant (21-8), finished the game shooting 37.8 percent and out-rebounded Adelphi 42-34 in the game. Mario Correia (Brockton, Mass.) added 13 points as the Bulldogs turned the ball over just 14 times in the game - four in the second half.
Adelphi (22-7) was led by Jamaal Wagner's 14 points while James Samuels and Kimani Blaize each had 11. The Panthers shot just 29.8 percent from the floor in the game and made just 7 of 15 free throws.
The 23 points by John Williams puts the junior over the 1,000-point mark with 1,009.
Bryant will face seventh-seeded Bloomfield, a 79-77 upset winner over second-seeded Saint Anselm in the second game, Sunday starting at 5 p.m. here at Bentley College's Dana Center.
