Bryant men strong from 3-point range, but can't get first conference win of the year

HAMDEN, Conn. – The Bulldogs saw one of their best shooting performances of the season, eclipsing the 70-point mark for the third time this year Saturday against Quinnipiac, but despite four in double-figures and nearly 51 percent accuracy, the Bryant University men's basketball team couldn't get their first Northeast Conference win of the year, falling to the Bobcats, 83-72, at the TD Bank Sports Center.

Quinnipiac (3-4, 1-1 NEC) got out to a hot start and picked up a 25-point lead, 37-12, on the Bulldogs (1-7, 0-2) with an 18-0 run that lasted a full 6:30 and ran the clock down to 5:38 as Bryant got stuck at 12 despite a number of good looks at the basket.

The Bobcats would extend that lead to a game-high 28 points minutes later, 42-14, but the Black and Gold turned it on in the final four minutes, outscoring their hosts, 19-5, to close that gap to 15 for a 47-33 halftime margin. The stretch featured four-straight treys from four different shooters and was punctuated by a smooth play that saw Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) slice through the key for a layup as the seconds ticked out on the first half.

The Bobcats shot 54.4 percent in the opening frame to Bryant's 48.1 clip and were led by 13 points from top scorer Jamee Jackson (5-7). Six different Bulldogs recorded six points in the opening 20 as the Black and Gold shot 60 percent from downtown (6-10).

In the second frame, Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) drained three more triples in the first nine minutes, scoring nine of the teams' opening 15 points. His second trey at 16:13 cut Quinnipiac's lead to just 11, 54-43, but foul trouble and rebounding woes prevented the Bulldogs from getting any closer. The home side would run its lead back up to 19 two minutes later, and while Bryant would again close the gap late in the game, the Bobcats' double-digit margin would hold through the final horn for an 83-72 decision.

Maynard looked renewed from long range and had the hottest hand of the night for the visitors, scoring 18 points off six 3-pointers and 6-of-11 shooting, also dishing out six assists in 38 minutes of action. Francis knotted his classmate's mark and hit 50 percent of his 16 attempts, leading the side on the glass with eight boards. Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) ended his day with 14 points off 5-8 shooting with a trio of triples and seven helpers, playing a full 40 minutes.

Rookie Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel) had a big night as well, scoring a career-high 10 points as the final of four Bulldogs to finish in double figures. Altit also scored the first 3-pointer of his career in the second half, taking his first-career collegiate free throws (1-for-2) in a career-high 21 minutes as well.

Bryant shot well in the second frame, converting at a 53.8 percent clip while holding its host to under 40 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes. Quinnipiac would finish with a 47.5 shooting percentage, a number the Bulldogs topped at 50.9 percent. Bryant nailed 12 threes on the afternoon and shot 52.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The Black and Gold outscored the Bobcats, 39-36, in the second stanza, but a slanted margin on the glass kept the Bulldogs from staging a comeback. Quinnipiac outrebounded Bryant, 45-25, and pulled down 21 offensive boards for 19 second-chance points on the contest. The Bulldogs had just nine rebounds after first-half action.

Jackson paced the Bobcats with a game-high 21 points off 8-of-13 shooting and was one of four Quinnipiac players in double-figures. His nine boards were also a contest best.

After a weekend of NEC action, Bryant now returns to non-conference play and will return to Connecticut Wednesday night (Dec. 7) to take on Yale in New Haven at 7:30 p.m.