Bryant Basketball at #18 Connecticut Huskies

November 6, 2006

HARTFORD, CONN. -  The Bryant Men's Basketball team battled the 18^th ranked Connecticut Huskies to the final minute but lost to the Big East powerhouse 70-45 Monday night at the Hartford Civic Center, in Hartford, Conn.

The Bulldogs, who were picked to finish second in the Northeast-10 Preseason Poll, concluded their exhibition schedule in which they competed with two Division I ranked teams to the end.

Senior guard Chris Burns (Merrimack, N.H.) drained two early three-pointers from the corner to give the Bulldogs the early 6-1 lead. Burns had a career-high 33 points last Wednesday at Syracuse. The senior guard finished with a team-high 13 points, including three from behind the arc.

The Huskies came right back though scoring 12 straight first-half points, but Bryant finished the first frame on a 5-0 run and trailed 36-30 at the half.  But the Bulldogs struggled from the field in the second half, scoring only 15 second-half points, as the Huskies pulled away late.

Senior forward Dan Hammond (Brunswick, ME.) tallied nine points, all in the first half, while senior guard Nate Sudlow (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added nine of his own and a team-leading 11 rebounds.

The Bulldogs shot 28.8% from the field and turned the ball over 24 times.

Bryant will open its regular season on November 15^th at Philadelphia (6 p.m.) before its home opener at the Chace Athletic Center on November 18^th against AIC (7:30 p.m.).