Bulldogs Head To NE-10 Semifinal With 63-61 Win at UMass Lowell Monday Night

Men’s Basketball
Bryant 63, UMass Lowell 61

BRYANT DEFEATS UMASS LOWELL, 63-61 IN NE-10 QUARTERFINALS
Bulldogs Visit Stonehill College Thursday Night For Semifinals

LOWELL, Mass. – John Williams scored 16 second half points and Jon Ezeokoli (right) added a game-high 24 points as the Bryant men’s basketball team defeated third-seeded UMass Lowell, 63-61 before 612 fans at Costello Gym Monday night.  With the win, the sixth-seeded Bulldogs will travel to second-seeded Stonehill College for the Northeast-10 Conference semifinals Thursday night starting at 7 pm with the winner advancing to the conference championship Saturday.

Bryant (21-8) overcame a rough start, shooting just 25 percent from the floor and were out-rebounded on the boards 31-12 in the half as the Bulldogs headed to the locker room trailing 29-22 at the break.

In the second half, Bryant came alive, opening up the half with a 12-2 run to climb back to within 34-31 with just over 17 minutes remaining. The Bulldogs went ahead 52-51 on a pair of Ezeokoli free throws and led 56-53 after a pair of Williams free throws with 2:18 left.

A Carl Benn tied the game 56-56 for Lowell with 1:05 remaining, but a Chris Burns drive in the lane put Bryant back on top by two, 58-56 with 51.9 seconds left.  The River Hawks would have one last shot, trailing 63-61, but Nate Sudlow blocked Brandon Arnette’s 17 footer and Bryant would hold on.

The Bulldogs finished the game shooting 37 percent from the floor and made 11 of 25 three-point attempts.  Lowell was led by Stacey Moragne’s 18 points and 10 rebounds as the River Hawks shot 40 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 46 to 29. 

 Burns finished with 9 points as Bryant turned the ball over just seven times.