January 30, 2008
Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball
BRYANT MEN DEFEAT SAINT ANSELM 86-73 BEHIND GRESHAM'S CAREER-HIGH 36 POINTS
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| Sophomore Cecil Greshman scored a career-high 36 points in Bryant's 86-73 Win Over Saint Anselm Wednesday night . Gresham made 8 three's in the game. Bryant travels to Bentley Saturday for a 3:30 pm game. www.dspics.com |
BOX SCORE
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Bryant University sophomore Cecil
Gresham (Bloomfield, CT / Kingswood HS / MCI) scored a
career-high 36 points and came within one three-pointer of tying a
school single game record as the Bulldogs withstood a late second
half charge to earn their third consecutive win by downing Saint
Anselm 86-73 here Wednesday night.
The win improves the Bulldogs record to 12-8 overall and 8-7 in the Northeast-10 heading into Saturday's showdown at No. 1 Bentley College in Waltham, MA (3:30 pm / CSTV). Saint Anselm, behind 20 points from Thomas Baudinet, drops to 8-11 (6-9 NE-10).
Looking to avenge and earlier loss to Saint Anselm in November in only the third game of the season, Bryant put together its best opening half of the season in roaring out to a 48-24 lead at the break. The 48 first half points were a season-best as the Bulldogs shot a sizzling 58 percent from the floor and made 10 three's from beyond the arc.
Gresham, who has reached double figures in scoring in eight of the last nine games, dazzled the Chace Athletic Center crowd with six first-half three-pointers en route to 22 first half points. He would finish with eight three's in the game, just one shy of Pete Lambert's (Cumberland, RI) record of nine set earlier this month against Merrimack.
Bryant trailed 11-9 early but a three from Lambert at 12:56 helped kick-start a 12-4 run that pushed the Bryant lead to 24-17 on a three from Gresham from the top of the key. A three by Saint Anselm's Junior Mitchell was answered by yet another trey from the Bulldogs, this time Chris Birrell (Scituate, RI) got into the act with a three from the left side to make it 30-20 and the Bulldogs heading into the locker room with all of the momentum on their side.
But the second half was a different story. Saint Anselm, trailing by as much as 56-24 early in the second, battled back behind solid defense and a patient offense. A from Baudinet pulled the Hawks to within 78-67 with 2:52 left and moments later Greg Vetrano drained a pair of free throws and the Hawks were back within single digits at 80-71.
But that would be as close as the Hawks would get as Birrell and Jerrann Wright (Cincinnati, OH) each hit a pair of free throws and the Bulldogs would hold on.
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Post Game Notes ...
* Bryant is ranked No. 6 in the first NCAA Northeast Region poll released this afternoon by the NCAA.
* Gresham made 6 of 7 three-point attempts in the FIRST HALF. The school record coming into the game was 9 in a game by Peter Lambert against Merrimack earlier this month.
* Bryant made 10 of 18 three's in the first half.
* In the first meeting with Saint Anselm (won by the Hawks 80-75 in Manchester, NH), Bryant made 14 of 31 three-point attempts. Peter Lambert had six in that game.
* Saint Anselm out-scored Bryant 49 to 38 in the second half.
* Chris Birrell finished with 19 points and seven assists plus five steals.
* The 86 points scored equaled a season-high (Merrimack).
* In two meetings with Saint Anselm this year, Bryant has made 27 three's.
* Wright had a solid game, finishing with 7 points and 10 rebounds plus adding three nice assists as well.
* The 36 points by Gresham ties him for the sixth-best single game scoring performance. David Sorafine scored 53 vs. Saint Francis in 1976.
