February 4, 2008
MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
BULLDOGS LOOK TO REBOUND TUESDAY AT FRANKLIN PIERCE
The Bryant men's basketball team looks to rebound from last Saturday's heartbreaking loss to top-ranked Bentley College in the final seconds when the Bulldogs visit Franklin Pierce Tuesday night. Bryant defeated the Ravens, 55-53 back on Nov. 25 (Game 3) at the Chace Athletic Center. The Bulldogs will return home this Saturday to start a three-game homestand when the team takes on American International College (3:30 pm). Bryant will host Saint Michael's (Wed., Feb. 13) and Southern Connecticut (Sat., Feb. 16) for Senior Day.
BULLDOG UPDATE
The Bulldogs saw their three-game win streak snapped at the hands
of top-ranked Bentley College before a capacity crowd of 3,100 at
Bentley's Dana Center. Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield,CT) drained
a three-pointer with seven seconds left on the clock to put the
Bulldogs up 68-67. But on Bentley's ensuing possession, the
Falcons' Yusaf Abdul-Ali went coast-to-coast and hit the
game-winner with one second left. Abdul-Ali did the same thing
exactly a year ago Saturday with yet another game-winner to lift
the Falcons to a last-second win over the Bulldogs before a packed
Chace Center. The game featured 13 lead changes and nine
ties. The loss overshadowed strong performances from
sophomore guard Chris Birrell (Scituate, RI) and senior Jon
Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ). Birrell had 17 points -
including five key 3-pointers - and added six assists a block and
steal. Ezeokoli added 17 points in the game plus eight
assists in 38 minutes. Gresham would finished with 14 points
as the Bulldogs shot a respectable 43 percent from the floor in the
game and made 12 of 13 free throws.
MAKING ‘EM COUNT
Bryant is 59-72 (82 percent) from the free throw line over the last
five games. The Bulldogs made 12 of 13 free throws at Bentley
on Saturday. Bryant made 10 of 13 from the stripe against
Southern NH and 11 of 12 at Le Moyne. Against St. Anselm, the
Bulldogs made 17 of 22 attempts.
MORE WINS FOR MAX
Seventh-year coach Max Good heads into Tuesday's game at Franklin
Pierce with 126 coaching victories at Bryant, tying him with Leon
Drury for second all-time. Tom Foliard is the all-time
winningest coach with 174 victories from 1968 to 1978.
CECIL HITS HIS STRIDE
Sophomore Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, CT) is averaging 18.8 points
per game in the last 10 games. He poured in a career-best 36 points
in the team's win over Saint Anselm last Wednesday, going 13 for 17
from the floor and making 8 of 12 three-point attempts - one shy of
the school record for three's made in a game of 9 held by Peter
Lambert. Against Bentley on Saturday, Gresham had 14 points and hit
a big three with 7 seconds left to put the Bulldogs up a point only
to see the Falcons win at the buzzer.
SCOUTING THE RAVENS
Franklin Pierce was idle over the weekend and comes into
Tuesday's game on a high note after earning a solid 65-64 win at
Pace University last Wednesday. Timothy Munch had 24 points
in the victory which snapped a two-game skid. The Ravens have
been tough at home, defeating Stonehill, 63-62 on Jan. 19 and
nearly pulling off an upset of their own against Bentley in falling
in the final seconds as well, 63-62. Munch, a junior guard,
leads the way with 13.3 ppg and has made 35 three's. Kinard
Dozier is averaging 11.0 ppg. Jeff Manchester has a team-best
39 three's.
LAST MEETING WITH FRANKLIN PIERCE
Jon Ezeokoli scored a game-high 26 points (20 in the second half)
as the Bulldogs held on for a 55-53 win at the Chace Athletic
Center back on Nov. 25. The Bulldogs trailed 27-26 at the half and
fell behind 43-37 midway through the second before pulling even at
46-46 on a three from Ezeokoli. Ryan McLean had just two
points but came up big with 10 rebounds. Kinard Dozier had 18
points to lead Franklin Pierce while Marcus Wellman added 14 points
and 10 rebounds.
IT'S WINNING TIME
Jon Ezeokoli and Chris Birrell have been the key go-to guys down
the stretch. Birrell is averaging 2.5 ppg and is shooting 85
percent (22-26) from the free throw line in the final five minutes
of games this season. Ezeokoli is averaging 2.2 ppg and
shooting 81 percent from the line with the game on the line.
BRYANT TO JOIN NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
In October, Bryant officially accepted an invitation to join the
Division I Northeast Conference. The school will begin a
four-year transition to Division I and become a full member of the
Northeast Conference in the fall of 2012. This will be
Bryant's final season as a member of the Division II ranks and will
begin a Division I schedule in 2008-09. Bryant will not be
eligible for conference or NCAA postseason play during the
four-year transition period. The Northeast Conference
includes members: Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson,
Long Island, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris,
Sacred Heart, St. Francis NY, St. Francis PA, and Wagner.
BULLDOGS ON TV
For the second year in a row, Bryant men's basketball will capture
a state-wide television audience. Cox Sports Channel 3 of
Rhode Island will broadcast the Bulldogs' Northeast-10
Conference showdown with Southern Connecticut State University on
Saturday, February 16 at the Chace Athletic Center as part of "Cox
On Campus." The game will be taped and aired on Cox Channel 3
on Sunday, February 17 at 7 p.m.
The game against Southern Connecticut will also be Bryant "Senior Day" as the Bulldogs will honor seniors Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) and John Fogarty (Smithfield, RI) prior to the start of the game.
HALL OF FAME /ALUMNI GAME SATURDAY
The American International College game on Saturday,
February 9th will be Basketball Alumni Day. There will be an
alumni game at 11 a.m. prior to the start of the women's
game. The day is also Hall of Fame Weekend as Bryant will
induct six new members into its Hall of Fame later in the evening.
