BURNS SCORES 31 POINTS IN BRYANT WIN THURSDAY
Northeast-10 Conference Basketball 

BOX SCORE

SMITHFIELD, RI -  (Jan. 11, 2007) Senior guard Chris Burns (Merrimack, NH) scored a career-high 31 points and tied a school single-game school record with eight 3-point field goals to lead the Bryant University men's basketball team to a 80-72 win over Pace University in Northeast-10 Conference action Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center. 

Burns:  Career-high 31 points and school record-tying eight 3-point field goals in Bryant's 80-72 win over Pace Thursday night. http://www.dspics.com/

    The win, Bryant's third-straight, improves the Bulldogs record to 10-5 overall and 8-4 in conference play.  Pace, led by Desmond Quincy-Jones' team-high 21, drops to 10-9 and 6-5 in the NE-10. 

     Bryant, which made 11 three's in the game - one shy of the team's season high of 12 earlier this season, led 40-31 at the half with Burns draining four three's in the first 20 minutes.

    Guard Nate Sudlow (Brooklyn, NY) helped the Bulldogs with a strong defensive effort on the Setters' Ryan Williams who came into the game with a 20 ppg scoring average.  Williams was held scoreless on just two shot attempts at the half. 

    Bryant led 68-56 midway through the second half following a three by Cecil Gresham, but a three by Williams with 3:53 left pulled the visitors to within 74-70.  But following a timeou, Jerrann Wright (Cincinnati, OH) scored on the inside and Burns hit two free throws in the final minute to help seal the victory.

    Burns finished the night 8 of 18 from the floor and played all 40 minutes. His previous career-high was 29 vs. Bridgeport last year.   Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) added 12 points for Bryant which finished the night shooting 46 percent from the floor.  Williams had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Pace which shot 50 percent for the game.

     Bryant will return to action this Saturday hosting Stonehill College for a 3:30 p.m. game at the Chace Athletic Center.  The game will be broadcast online via CSTV.

POSTGAME NOTES ...

* The game was broadcast on Cox Sports -3 with an airing on Friday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m.  Don Coyne and Mike Rubino called the action. 

* The 80 points were the second most this season  (84 vs. St. Anselm)

* The season-high for three's is 12 set vs. Southern NH earlier this year.

* The school record for three's in a game is 15 vs. Saint Anselm in 2005

* Chris Burns' previous career-best was 29 points at Bridgeport last year. His previous career high for three's was 6 vs. Virginia Union in the 2005 NCAA Championship game.

* The 25 assists were a season-high

* The 28 rebounds by Pace were the fewest allowed this year by Bryant

* Burns ties Jason Bennett's school record of 8 three's vs. Merrimack in 1999.