GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Bryant University men's basketball team looks for back-to-back wins to open its three-game homestand and will welcome Fairleigh Dickinson University to the Chace Athletic Center Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Saturday's game can be seen live on NECFrontRow.com and heard on WOON 1240 AM.

THE SERIES
Saturday's game marks the ninth all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the Knights, with FDU holding a slight 5-4 edge after a series split last season. The Knights also own the slight edge on Bryant's home court, winning 3-of-5, including the two most recent outings in Smithfield.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Mustafaa Jones (15.4 ppg) leads three double-digits scorers for the 7-7 Knights, with Darian Anderson right behind at 12.1 points per outing. Xavier Harris is the team's top rebounder at 6.2 boards per contest while also contributing 8.2 points per game with 15 blocks and a team-best .527 shooting percentage. Matt MacDonald also averages double figures with 10.3 points each time out, also pulling in 5.1 rebounds per game. Darius Stokes is the side's top shot blocker with 16 on the year (3.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg). As a unit, FDU shoots at a 41.6 percent clip with a 36.6 percent mark from beyond the arc. But the Knights hold opponents to just 46 percent accuracy and are letting up nearly 71 points per game.

CURRENT BULLDOGS vs. FDU
Seven current Bulldogs have seen action against the Knights in their careers, with four of them facing off against FDU more than once. Senior sharpshooter Dyami Starks averages 14.7 points per game in three career outings against the Knights, but hasn't shot as well as he has against other opponents, converting just 28.8 percent of his lifetime shots (15-52, 7-24 from 3-point range). Senior guard Joe O'Shea averages 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per outing over three contests, while junior point guard Shane McLaughlin scored 14 points in a pair of games last season and has appeared against the Knights three times (8 assists). Junior Curtis Oakley has also matched up against FDU three times (4.7 ppg). Current Bulldogs are shooting just a lifetime .333 (29-87) against the Knights.

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs are 2-1 against the Northeast Conference in 2014-15 with a 33-57 record (.367) against current NEC members since joining the Division I ranks. All-time against current conference institutions, the Bulldog basketball program is 47-74 (.388). Bryant finished 2013-14 NEC play with a 10-6 league record, earning the No. 3 seed in the 2014 NEC Tournament.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs wrap up their three-game homestand Thursday, Jan. 15 against Wagner College at 7:00 p.m. The tilt can be seen live and free-of-charge at NECFrontRow.com and heard on WOON 1240 AM.

IT'S A LONG SHOT
After struggling from distance in three-straight contests (.200), the Bulldogs rebounded with their best 3-point shooting game of the season Thursday night against Saint Francis U. Bryant converted a season-high 47.6 percent of its trifectas (10-21) and spread the long-ball love around. Rookie guard Hunter Ware led the way, going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc while senior Joe O'Shea added three more in eight attempts en route to tying his career high with 21 points. Senior sharpshooter Dyami Starks added another trey, while junior point guard Shane McLaughlin went 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Bryant now averages 7.4 triples per contest.

FLASHBACK
In addition to setting a new season high from 3-point land (.476), Bryant also tied its season-best point production (80) and set a new mark from the field (.569) Thursday night against the Red Flash. The game also saw sophomore Dan Garvin set a new career high with 14 points while senior Joe O'Shea tied his career best with a game-high 21. The Bulldogs also saw five finish in double figures for just the second time this season (at Army Dec. 9).

SHARING THE LOAD
After senior guard Dyami Starks led the Bulldogs in scoring in each of the first eight games of the season, the Bryant offense  has started to share the load. The last four games have seen three different Bulldog leading scorers, with senior guard Joe O'Shea pacing the team twice (12 vs. Dartmouth, 21 vs. SFU) and rookie guard Hunter Ware doing so once with 13 points at St. Francis Brooklyn. Starks also led the side once, scoring 25 in a win over LIU Brooklyn Jan. 3. The Black and Gold have also diversified their offensive options. Prior to Dec. 31, Starks outscored the team's next leading scorer by 13.2 points per game, averaging 19.8 each time out. Over the last four games, however, three players — led by O'Shea at 14.5 ppg — are in double figures (Starks — 12.8 ppg; Ware — 10.5 ppg) with one more, sophomore forward Dan Garvin, averaging 9.5 after a career-high 14 against the Red Flash Thursday night.

REGULAR JOE
Senior Joe O'Shea has been on fire for the Bulldogs over the last four contests, averaging a team-leading 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor (22-44) and going 11-for-11 from the line in that span. The guard has registered double-digit points three times, surpassing 20 points in a game for just the second time in his career Thursday night (21). He pulled in a game-best 10 rebounds Monday against St. Francis Brooklyn to tie his career high while also recording the first double-digit rebounding game for any Bryant player this season. On the year, O'Shea averages 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game entering Saturday action.

TICKET TO RIDE
Single-game ticket packages are still available for the 2014-15 Bryant University men's and women's basketball seasons. Tickets can be purchased online at bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or by calling the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-319-TIXX.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference have partnered with Pack Network to create NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2014-15 athletic seasons, including live, free-of-charge, high-definition broadcasts of all Bulldog home men's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard, state-of-the-art graphics and brand-new DVR functionality. Visit necfrontrow.com for more information and a schedule of events.

BRYANT HOOPS ON WOON RADIO
For the seventh season, all Bryant University basketball home games and select road contests can be heard LIVE on WOON 1240 AM. Veteran sportscaster Jon Wallach of 98.5 FM The Sports Hub Boston returns to call the action as the voice of the Bulldogs, alongside color analyst Tristan Hobbes.