SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant men's basketball team returns to the Chace Athletic Center for a pair of games this week beginning on Thursday against NJIT. Tip is set for 6:00 p.m.
Bryant will also host UMBC on Saturday (Feb. 15) at 1:00 p.m. This marks the Bulldogs' only double-home conference weekend of the year. What follows is one of the toughest three-game road stretches of the year that includes stops at Vermont, UMass Lowell and Maine.
Tickets for Thursday and Saturday can be purchased at
BryantBulldogs.com/tickets.
The Particulars
Opponent: NJIT
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Thursday, Feb. 13 - 6:00 PM
Live Stats: Sidearm
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets: Buy Now
Game Notes: Bryant | NJIT
Social Media: Facebook |
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Instagram | #AEMBB
THE SERIES
- Bryant owns a 6-1 lead in the Division I series history with NJIT. The Bulldogs have won all five meetings since joining the America East.
- That includes a 92-70 victory on February 1 in Newark. Rafael Pinzon led four players in double figures with 29 points in the contest.
BRYANT BOUNCES BACK IN BINGHAMTON
- Bryant bounced back with a 78-71 victory on the road at Binghamton Saturday to improve to 9-1 in America East play. The victory came after the Bulldogs fell to UAlbany, 68-63, at home last Thursday.
- Rafael Pinzon led Bryant with 27 points, helping the Bulldogs erase a five-point second half deficit. He scored 17 points in the second half, tying the game for the final time with two free throws at the 9:15 mark.
- Earl Timberlake had 13, 9 and 7, while Connor Withers posted a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
- Earl Timberlake has put together one of the greatest careers in Bryant basketball history. He enters Thursday with 1,173 points, 705 rebounds, 301 assists and 96 blocks in his Bulldog career.
- On Saturday at Binghamton, he surpassed Frankie Dobbs for fifth in DI program history in scoring and became only the fourth player (Alex Francis, Dan Garvin, Charles Pride) to reach 700 career rebounds.
- Timberlake also became the fifth to reach 300 career assists.
- He is the only player in program history with 1,000+ points, 700+ rebounds and 300+ assists.
BOUNCE BACK RAF
- Two days after being held scoreless in 16 minutes vs UAlbany, Rafael Pinzon poured in a game-high 27 at Binghamton. It marked his ninth 20-point outing of the year and gave him 28.5 ppg season average against the Bearcats.
- Pinzon is now averaging 18.4 ppg on the year, second to NJIT's Tariq Francis.
- He enters Thursday night just 10 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
FIVE MORE THINGS TO KNOW
- Bryant bounced back on Saturday at Binghamton, turning the ball over just six times. The performance came after Bryant had turned the ball over 15 times (most in an AE game this year) vs UAlbany last Thursday). Bryant is averaging just over nine turnovers per game in America East play.
- Timberlake is now averaging 15.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 4.7 apg on the year. In league play, he is averaging 13.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.7 apg and 2.6 bpg.
- Connor Withers recorded his second double-double of the year at Binghamton. He had just two previous double-doubles entering the year. Withers has also now scored in double figures in all 10 America East games. He is averaging 15.9 ppg in league play and is first in the America East with 3.3 3pFG/game. Withers has made at least four threes in five of the 10 league games.
- Keyshawn Mitchell recorded double-digit rebounds in each of Bryant's two games last week. He is averaging 6.4 rpg on the year and has 7+ rebounds in five of 10 AE games.
- Prior to last week, Bryant was averaging 26.7 3pFG attempts per game in league play. The Bulldogs, however, averaged just 17.5 3pFG per game vs UAlbany and Binghamton.
