February 3, 2007

BRYANT MEN LET UPSET BID SLIP AWAY
Third-Ranked Bentley Rallies Late for 78-76 Win Before Sellout Crowd
Box Score

SMITHFIELD, RI -  Yusuf Abdul-Ali scored a runner in the lane with 1.5 seconds left to lift third-ranked Bentley College to a thrilling 78-76 win over #25 Bryant University before a raucous sellout-crowd of 2,660 fans at the Chace Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.  Ali's runner capped a 26-6 run by the Falcon's to close the game and hand Bryant its first home loss of the season. 

A sellout crowd of 2,660 painted the Chace Athletic Center Black as the Bulldogs hosted third-ranked Bentley Saturday.

Bryant (14-7, 11-6 NE-10) gave the visiting Falcons all they could handle in the first half, racing out to a 44-30 lead at the break behind 53 percent shooting from the floor and holding Bentley to just 10 of 31 (32 percent) shooting from the floor. 

In the second half, Bryant continued to pour it on, going up 56-40 lead on a Chris Burns three.  After a Jon Ezeokoli three from the top of the key, Burns followed up on a missed free throw with another trey in front of the Bryant bench to give Bryant its largest lead of the game, 70-53 with 8:46 left.

From there, the Bulldogs stumbled.  The Bulldogs would go more than seven minutes without a field goal as Ryan McLean's baseline jumper with 7:47 was the only field goal the team would make before Jerrann Wright scored with under a minute left.  Bentley, behind the strong inside play of Nate Fritsch and Jeff Holmes, would storm back to steal the win. 

A Fritsch three from the top of the key pulled the visitors to within 74-68 with 3:51 left.  After two Lew Finnegan free throws to pull Bentley to within four, Holmes went to work inside, scoring three consecutive baskets underneath, the last coming with 52.9 seconds left, putting Bentley on top 76-74.  It was Bentley's first lead of the game. 

Bryant would answer, as Wright worked hard for a rebound and scored a Nate Sudlow miss to tie the game, 76-76 with 26 seconds left.  

With the shot clock off, Bentley would work the game clock down for the final shot.  Ali, who entered the game averaging nine points per game, used a good ball fake to the left and drove past Sudlow to the basket and dropped in a floater in the paint with under two seconds left for the game-winner.  Bryant was never able to get a clean final shot off and the Falcons would keep their perfect record intact for the season.  Bentley is just one of three teams undefeated in the country.

Fritsch finished with a season-high 23 points while Holmes added 17 and seven rebounds.  Bentley shot 58 percent from the floor in the second half and made 17 of 21 free throws in the game.

Burns and Ezeokoli each finished with 15 for Bryant while Nick Pontes came off the bench to add 12.  Bryant out-rebounded Bentley, 42 to 33 and turned the ball over 11 times in the game, but could not get on track offensively in the second half, shooting just 38 percent on 11 of 30 shooting in the final 20 minutes. 

Bryant will host Franklin Pierce College on Tuesday night starting at 7:30 p.m.

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