December 09, 2009

 BRYANT LOSES BATTLE OF THE BULLDOGS, TOPPED BY YALE, 69-54

Chroney records first career double-double, Jordan posted career-best 14 points despite loss

Boxscore

New Haven, Conn. - Freshman Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) scored a career-best 14 points while junior Michael Chroney (Nashua, N.H.) posted a double-double in his first career start, but it wouldn't be enough to get the Bryant University men's basketball team its first win of the season, falling to Yale, 69-54, Wednesday night at John J. Lee Amphitheater.

Bryant (0-9) shot 43.4 percent from the floor despite the loss - besting Yale (4-6) by one percent - while Jordan's 14 points were a game best and Chroney's 10 rebounds were a contest high. The junior walk-on collected the only double-double from either side on the evening, adding 11 points.

The contest was highlighted for the visiting Bulldogs by career marks for both Jordan and Chroney, as well as the debut of freshman Erick Smith (Bel Air, Md.), who posted nine points, all of them coming in the second half. Jordan shot 6-of-11 from the floor for his 14 points, while Chroney posted career highs in points (11), field goals made (4), attempted (10) rebounds (10) blocks (1) and minutes (29) in the first start of his career. Sophomore Papa Lo (Thies, Senegal) stood tall defensively, putting up a trio of rejections for his fourth-straight multi-block contest. He also posted a new career mark with five points.

Bryant started the game slow and Yale took advantage out of the gates, outscoring the visiting Bulldogs, 12-4, in the first seven minutes. The home side held Bryant to single-digit points through the opening 13:59, driving the score as high as 26-8 before the Bulldogs from Rhode Island started to pick up steam. Bryant would close the gap to 12 in the final six minutes of the half, nearly doubling its point output and going to the locker room down, 36-24, at the half.

The Bulldogs upped their shooting percentage to a .435 clip by the end of the first session, rivaling Yale's 44.8 percent shooting from the floor, but couldn't convert from the line, hitting just two of seven chances. The Connecticut Bulldogs hit 80 percent from the stripe (8-of-10) and strong-armed Bryant on the boards as well, 20-14. Jordan paced the game at the break with 10 points off 4-of-8 shooting from the floor (2-for-3 from beyond the arc).

And while Bryant scored first after the intermission, Yale would score more often, upping its lead to more than 20 points, 51-30, 5:53 into the second half. Bryant would cut into that lead with a 13-4 run midframe, closing the gap to 60-48 with 5:26 left to play.

But the home side would slowly grow that lead again as the minutes ticked away, leaving the visiting Bulldogs with their ninth loss of the season, 69-54.

A trio of Yale Bulldogs registered double-digit points, led by 13 from Michael Sands. Bryant again gave its opponent significant chances from the free throw line as the home team went 14-of-21 from the stripe. Both teams posted six blocks on the day.

Bryant returns to action Saturday when its hosts Columbia in the team's second-consecutive Ivy League matchup and just its second home game of the season. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.