FULL GAME NOTES
THE PARTICULARS
The Bryant University men's basketball team will look to avenge its loss vs. Sacred Heart from earlier this season when the Bulldogs head to Fairfield, Conn. for an afternoon tilt with the Pioneers, Saturday at 1 p.m. at the William H. Pitt Center. The game will be the second leg of a Bulldog-Pioneer doubleheader with the women playing at 1 p.m.
THE SERIES
The Bulldogs have matched up against the Pioneers more than any other team in the NEC, and Sacred Heart holds a 17-12 advantage in a series that dates back to the 1965-66 campaign. Sacred Heart and Bryant first faced off in the programs' Division II days, where 16 of the 29 contests between these sides took place. In 13 Division I meetings, Bryant has won just four and looks to earn a split with SHU after suffering its worst league loss of the year at the hands of the Pioneers just two weeks ago in Smithfield.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart enters Saturday's contest with a 10-14 overall record coming off an 86-75 victory over Wagner Thursday night. With a 4-7 mark against league opponents, the Pioneers currently sit in eighth place in the Northeast Conference standings with just seven games remaining in the regular season.
SHU is led by freshman guard Cane Broome, who's 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game place him as a frontrunner for NEC Rookie of the Year. Senior wing Evan Kelley ranks second on the team with 13.5 ppg, while sophomore forward D'Von Barnett rounds out the double digit scorers with 11.2 ppg. Junior forward Tevin Faizon reads the team on the glass with 7.0 rpg to go along with eight points per contest, while senior PG Phil Gaetano dishes out a team-high 5.5 assists each game.
As a team, Sacred Heart ranks first in the NEC in scoring offense 72.5 ppg, but last in scoring defense, allowing 73.5 ppg to opponents. However, the do rank at the top among league opponents with FG percentage (.456) and FG defense (.427), as well as rebounds per game (37.9) and assists per game (14.25).
BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs are 8-3 in Northeast Conference play in 2014-15 and sport a 39-59 record (.397) against current NEC members since joining the Division I ranks. All-time against current conference institutions, the Bulldog basketball program is 53-76 (.410). Entering Saurday's action, Bryant sits alone in second place in the NEC standings, one game behind league leader and preseason favorite St. Francis Brooklyn.
UP NEXT
After a breif home stint, the Bulldogs return to the road for four-straight games begining with Saturday's contest vs. Sacred Heart. From there, the Black and Gold will visit FDU (Feb. 12), Mount St. Mary's (Feb. 14), and Wagner (Feb. 19) before returning to the Chace Athletic Center for their final three regular season contests.
BRYANT FENDS OFF MOUNT IN FINAL SECONDS ON ESNPU
A last-second layup from Gregory Graves rolled off the rim with three seconds left in the game for Shane McLaughlin to pull in and take the foul, and the junior point guard drained one free throw with 0.6 seconds to play to seal the Bryant University victory over Mount St. Mary's, 55-53, Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center. The tilt, televised live on ESPNU, featured a raucous home crowd as the Bulldogs took sole possession of second place in the Northeast Conference standings with the victory and a Robert Morris loss. Redshirt-freshman Bosko Kostur and senior guard Dyami Starks paced the game with 17 points while senior Joe O'Shea added 10 points and a trio of assists. Sophomore forward Dan Garvin led the game with 10 rebounds (6 points), while McLaughlin added seven boards to his three points and two assists.
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.
