Men's Basketball
March 15, 2008
NCAA NORTHEAST REGIONAL - FIRST ROUND
#5 BRYANT DEFEATS #4 C.W. POST 63-56
Bulldogs Face Rival Bentley in Regional Semifinals
Sunday Night at 7:30 pm
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| Cecil Gresham recorded a double double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in Bryant's 63-56 win over C.W. Post in the NCAA Northeast Regional first round game. www.dspics.com |
WALTHAM, Mass. - Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) scored 10 of his team-high 16 points from the free throw line as the Bryant University men's basketball team defeated C.W. Post 63-56 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Regional here Saturday night. Bryant will now advance to the regional semifinals Sunday night where they will face top-ranked Bentley College at 7:30 p.m.
The winner of Sunday's game between Bryant and Bentley will advance to the regional final to be played Tuesday evening in Waltham, MA. Saint Rose and Assumption will meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m.
Bryant trailed 26-25 at the half but used a tough second-half defense to advance to the regional semifinals for the fourth time in five trips to the postseason under coach Max Good.
A dunk by CW. Post forward Lyndon Daniel with 6:38 left gave the Pioneers a 44-42 lead. But a Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, CT) basket on a put-back on a Barry Latham (Taunton, MA) miss helped Bryant tie the game up at 44-44 with just over five minutes to play.
Bryant (18-12) would take advantage of cold shooting from the floor - and at the line - to charge ahead by as much as eight, 53-45 with 1:47 left as C.W. Post failed to score a field goal since Daniel's dunk until Wesley Matthews lay-up with 30 seconds left.
CW Post (26-5) made just 19 of 35 free throws in the game and got a game-high 23 points from guard Jonathan Schmidt. Bryant, which finished the night shooting 39 percent from the floor, made 28 of 39 free throws including 16 of 23 in the second half to advance to Sunday's semifinal. Gresham added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs.
Bentley swept both season meetings against Bryant this season. The Falcons have won 61 straight against Northeast Region teams.
Post Game Notes ...
* Bryant is the only team in the region to qualify for the last five NCAA Northeast Regional Championships
* Bryant is now 5-1 all-time in first round games under coach Max Good
* Saturday's first round game marked the first time Bryant played in the night game having played in the noo'n contest in the last three regionals.
* Bryant's roster has only two seniors: Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) and John Fogarty (Smithfield, RI).
* This year marks the final trip to the NCAA Division II
Northeast Regional's as Bryant will begin its transition to
Division I starting in 2008-09.
