BRYANT MEN TRAVEL TO UMASS LOWELL MONDAY
Northeast-10 Conference Quarterfinal
#6 Bryant (20-8) at #3 UMass Lowell (19-8) – Costello Gym (7 pm)

Game Notes (pdf)  / AUDIO at http://www.northeast10.org

BULLDOG UPDATE
The Bryant men's basketball team (20-8) heads to UMass Lowell (19-8) Monday night for a Northeast-10 Conference Quarterfinal round game at Costello Gym (7 pm).  Bryant, the No. 6 seed defeated AIC 61-54 in first round action Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield thanks to 24 points from junior guard Chris Burns.  UMass Lowell, the No. 3 seed of the tournament, received a first round bye Saturday.  This will be the second meeting of the year between the two schools with Bryant winning, 82-66 in Smithfield back on Feb. 1 as John Williams had 31 points for Bryant and Stacey Moragne poured in a game-high 36 points plus added 10 rebounds for the River Hawks.  While previous trips to Costello Gym have not been so memorable, the Bulldogs did manage a 57-52 win over River Hawks during the regular season last year on Feb. 2.  In the previous year, UMass Lowell knocked out the Bulldogs in the conference semifinals and later in the NCAA Regional Championship. Bryant is ranked No. 2 in the latest NCAA Regional ranking.  

SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL
The River Hawks, seeded No. 3 in the conference tournament and No. 6 in the NCAA Northeast Region, received a first round bye of the conference tournament Saturday.  UML has won three of its last four including a 69-66 win at Franklin Pierce in the regular season finale.  Stacey Moragne has been one of the top scorers in the Northaest-10 Conference this year and brings a 20.8 scoring and shooting 55.9 percent from the floor.  Brandon Arnette is next with 15.8 ppg while Carl Benn brings an 11.5 ppg scoring average into the game. 

BULLDOG NOTABLES ….

• Bryant set a school record with 25 wins last year, becoming the first Northeast-10 Conference team to reach the NCAA Championship game (Bryant fell to Virginia Union, 63-58).
• John Williams has 313 career three-pointers, breaking the school record of 295 held by Jason Bennett.  He has 105 three's this season.
• The Bulldogs are 7-5 on the road this season, 12-3 at home, and 1-0 on neutral courts
• Bryant is SECOND in the Northeast-10 in scoring with 76.4 ppg
• Bryant LEADS the conference with a .388 three-point field percentage (264-681)
• Bryant has made the most three's this year among conference teams (264)
• The school record for three's in a year is 272 set by last year's squad
• Bryant is RANKED 9TH NATIONALLY with 9.4 three's a game  (prior to Tues.)
• John Williams is ranked No. 9 nationally with a 46.2 three-point field goal % (prior to Tues.)
• Williams is also 5^th  nationally with a 3.8  three's per game average (prior to Tues.)
• Williams is ranked No. 5 nationally with a 90.1 free throw percentage (prior to Tues.)

Words Unlimited, the statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters, and publicists announced in early January that Max Good has been named the 2005 Male Coach of the Year and the 2004-05 men's basketball team's drive to the NCAA National Champion as the Story of the Year.  Good and the team were honored along with the other winners at the organization's 60th annual Sports Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 19. 

BULLDOGS MOVE UP TO NO. 2 IN NCAA NORTHEAST
After two consecutive weeks ranked No. 4, the Bryant men's basketball team entered the week ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Northeast Regional Poll, released on Feb. 22.  The ranking is the highest in the program’s history and the poll did not include Tuesday’s loss to Merrimack. Eight teams are selected to the NCAA Regional, with the NE-10, NYCAC, and CACC Conferences awarded an automatic bid for its conference champion.  Bryant was ranked No. 6 in last year's final regional poll and captured its first regional championship with wins over each of the three regional conference champions (Adelphi, Bloomfield, Bentley).  Stonehill, which did not make the NCAA tourney, was ranked No. 6 at this time last year before it was upset in the first round of the conference tournament, by of all team, AIC. Stonehill dropped a spot to No. 7 in the last poll and were bumped out of the regional tourney.  The last poll will be announced on Wed., Mar. 1 and the NCAA selection will take place on Sunday, Mar. 5.

NCAA Regional Poll – Feb. 22
Team (Conference) – Bryant results head to head
1. Stonehill (NE-10) – 51-63 L, 63-77 L
2. BRYANT (NE-10)
3. Bentley (NE-10) - 77-63 W, 88-78 W (2ot)
4. Saint Anselm (NE-10) – 87-80 W
5. Adelphi (NYCAC) – 70-62 W
6. UMass Lowell (NE-10) – 82-66 W
7. Queens (NYCAC) - DNP
8. Saint Rose (NE-10) – 64-62 L, 77-52 L
9. Bridgeport (NYCAC) – 78-76 W
10. Bloomfield (CACC) – 102-78 W

WILLIAMS RANKED IN TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN THREE CATEGORIES
Senior guard John Williams has continued his strong shooting in leading the Bulldogs in scoring this season.  The Springfield, MA native was a first team all-conference selection last season and earned MVP honors of the NCAA Regional Championship. In addition, he was named all-region after setting a school record with 119 three's on the year.  Invited to the prestigious Portsmouth Basketball Camp in Virginia, Williams is currently 5th all-time at Bryant with 1,698career points and FIRST with 313 career three's.  This season, he has been named NE-10 Player of the Week three times (Nov. 21, Jan. 30, Feb. 20) and to the NE-10 Honor Roll four times (Dec. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 6, Feb. 13).  He is currently ranked No. 9 nationally with a 46.2 percent three-point field goal percentage, No. 5 nationally with a 90.1 free throw percentage, and No. 5 nationally with a 3.8 three-point field goals per game average.