January 14, 2009

Box Score

BULLDOGS SECOND HALF RUN FALLS SHORT; LOSE TO SACRED HEART, 73-64, WEDNESDAY NIGHT

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University men's basketball team made yet another impressive second half comeback, but Sacred Heart, picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference, knocked down big shots down the stretch to top the Bulldogs, 73-64, Wednesday night at the Chace Center.

Sacred Heart jumped on the Bulldogs in the first half, as preseason all-NEC selection Joey Henley scored 13 points to pace a Pioneer attack that shot 58.6 percent from the floor to grab a 41-23 halftime lead.

Bryant held an early 5-2 lead after a pair of Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn. / MCI) with 17:52 to go in the half, but an 18-2 Sacred Heart run over the next five and a half minutes opened up a 13 point lead for the Pioneers. Chauncey Hardy hit on back-to-back three's as part of the run, finishing the half with eight.

The Bulldogs fought back with short runs of 5-0 and 6-2 to climb within seven, trailing 27-20 with 7:10 to play after Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I. / Scituate) drilled his second three of the half. Birrell had six points, three rebounds and two assists in the first frame, while Gresham paced Bryant with eight.

Two deep three's from Ryan Litke sparked a 12-2 Sacred Heart run to end the half that would give the Pioneers their biggest lead of the game, taking an 18-point advantage into the locker room.

The Bulldogs once again came out strong to start the second half, fighting back with a 14-2 run over the first five minutes, cutting the Sacred Heart lead down to six with 14:50 to go. Ryan McLean (Plymouth, Mass. / Plymouth North) ignited the run, making numerous hustle plays to get the Bryant defense going while also contributing two points. Birrell had six points as part of the run, slicing through the Pioneer defense to help push the offense. The junior finished with a season-high 15 points, four assists three steals and three rebounds.

Five-straight from Hardy put an end to the run, extending the lead back to 11. But the Bulldogs would not go down silently, as Pete Lambert (Cumberland, R.I. / Cumberland) connected with McLean on a perfect alley-oop pass, cutting the lead back to eight with 11:14 remaining in the game.

With the score 51-43, Corey Hassan hit treys on back-to-back Sacred Heart possessions, as the lead great to 12 with less than ten minutes to play. Another three from Shane Gibson with 5:50 left, saw Sacred Heart take another 15 point advantage. The Pioneers hurt Bryant with their outside shooting, hitting nine-for-21 in the game with five coming in the second half.

Bryant continued to respond as they have all season long in the second half, putting on a late 11-3 charge, bringing the Bulldogs within eight with 1:34 to play. Birrell and Lambert each knocked down three's, while Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass. / New Bedford) hit three free-throws as part of the run. Pontes went 7-for-12 from the line and scored 11 points to register his sixth-straight game in double-figures.

The Bulldogs just did not have enough time left down the stretch, despite outscoring the Pioneers 41-32 in the second half. Bryant got it done on the defensive end, forcing 18 turnovers and making a season-high 13 steals, as Birrell, Lambert and Andrew Lyell (Portsmouth, R.I. / Portsmouth) each had three.

Bryant wraps-up its three-game home-stand on Saturday afternoon when they battle Fairleigh Dickinson at the Chace Center (1 p.m.).

POST GAME NOTES ...

Ø  With the win, Sacred Heart improves to 6-10 on the season. Bryant, with the loss, drops to 2-15. 
Ø  Sacred Heart now leads the all-time series 9-8. The two teams will meet again on February 28 at 4 p.m. in Fairfield, CT.  It will be the final game of the season for Bryant.  
Ø  The 64 points scored for Bryant were the third-most this season, tying the 64 scored at Providence on Dec. 22.  Bryant's high output came against Yale scoring 69.
Ø  The 17 free throws made by Bryant were the second most this season (22 made vs. Yale on Jan. 2).
Ø  Bryant's 13 steals were a season-high
Ø  Sacred Heart's 22 assists were the most by a Bryant opponent this season.
Ø  Sacred Heart's 12 steals were the second-most by an opponent while Sacred Heart's 18 turnovers equaled a season-high (Cornell and Brown each had 18 against Bryant.
Ø  Nick Pontes' 11 points tonight was the junior's sixth-straight game in double figures in scoring
Ø  The 15 points by Chris Birrell were a season-high for the junior guard.
Ø  Bryant out-scored Sacred Heart 41 to 32 in the second half.