December 2, 2006 

EZEOKOLI'S THREE IN FINAL SECONDS GIVES BRYANT MEN A 69-66 WIN AT UMASS LOWELL SATURDAY AFTERNOON

BOX SCORE

Nate Sudlow had 14 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals vs. UMass Lowell Saturday. The Bulldogs visit Bentley Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.

LOWELL, Mass. - Jon Ezeokoli's (South Orange, NJ) fade-away three-pointer from the right corner with 2.9 seconds remaining gave the Bryant men's basketball team a thrilling 69-66 win at UMass Lowell Saturday afternoon. 

Ezeokoli's basket helped the Bulldogs escape with the victory after blowing a 10 point lead with four minutes remaining.  Bryant improves to 4-2 on the season with the victory (3-1 in the Northeast-10) heading into Tuesday's showdown at eighth-ranked Bentley in Waltham, Mass. 

Thrilling finishes have been nothing new to these conference rivals, especially in recent history.  Meeting for an amazing ninth time in the last three seasons, the Bulldogs defeated Lowell, 63-61 in the conference quarterfinals last year, but the River Hawks would end Bryant's season a week later with a first round win in the NCAA playoffs. 

On Saturday, behind a season-high 20 points from guard Dashon Harper, UMass Lowell trailed 64-54 following a dunk by Bryant sophomore Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) with 4:04 remaining. 

But behind the strong play of Harper and inside rebounding by Jerreh Saidybah scored 10 unanswered points and pulled even with the Bulldogs, 64-64 on a three by Harper from the top of the key with 1:28 left.

Sophomore Jerrann Wright (Cincinnati, OH) would answer for Bryant, hitting a soft jumper in the paint with under a minute left to put Bryant up by two, 66-64.  Harper again would come right back, scoring on a drive to the basket to tie the game at 66-66 with 35 seconds remaining. 

After a timeout by Bryant, the Bulldogs worked the clock down for the last shot of the game.  Ezeokoli, coming off a screen along the baseline, took a pass from Nate Sudlow (Brooklyn, NY) and drained the game-winner. 

UMass Lowell (3-4, 1-3 NE-10), had one last chance to tie the game, but Harper's running three at the buzzer came up short and the Bulldogs would escape with the win.  

Costello Gym, beautifully renovated, had been a house of horrors for the Bulldogs in years past, but Saturday's win made it three-straight wins for Bryant on the River Hawk's home court.  Wright finished with a team-high 16 points on a perfect 7 for 7 shooting from the floor off the bench.  Ezeokoli had 15 to go with five rebounds while Sudlow played very well, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.  In addition, Sudlow added 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 37 minutes of action for Bryant which finished the game shooting 51 percent from the floor.

UMass Lowell shot just 35.3 percent from the floor and made 8 of 29 three-point field goal attempts as Craig Heatherly was 3 for 4 from three-point range.  The River Hawks outrebounded Bryant 36 to 35 in the game.

Tipoff Tuesday night at Bentley is at 7:30 p.m. in Waltham, Mass.  The Falcons were the preseason favorite to win the Northeast-10 Conference this season. Bryant was picked second.