January 27, 2007                                        

BRYANT MEN DEFEAT UMASS LOWELL 66-55
Red-Hot Bulldogs Winners of Seven Straight

Box Score 

INSIDE FORCE: Sophomore Nick Pontes recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds in Bryant's 66-55 win over UMass Lowell Saturday.  http://www.dspics.com/

SMITHFIELD, RI  -  Senior Chris Burns (Merrimack, NH) scored a game-high 22 points, 19 coming in the second half to lead Bryant University to a 66-55 win over UMass Lowell in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic  Center.  Bryant trailed 34-21 at the half but came roaring back with 45 second half points in winning its seventh-straight game.   With the win, Bryant improves to 14-5 overall and 11-4 in conference play. 

Playing for the first time in a week, the Bulldogs were sluggish in the first half, making just eight field goals in the first half (1 for 12 from beyond the arc) and headed into the locker room trailing, 34-21.  For Bryant, its was the team's lowest first half scoring output of the season.  

But something woke the Bulldogs in the second.  Bryant outscored UMass Lowell 20 to 3 to start the half as Burns drained two three's and Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) provided a much-needed spark on the inside with two quick baskets and a pair of key rebounds.  Pontes would finish the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.  It was the sophomore forward's first double-double of the season.

Two free throws from Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) gave Bryant its first lead since the early minutes with 13:22 left. 

UMass Lowell (6-15, 3-13 NE-10), which led by as much as 16 late in the first half, would not go away as Victor Colon hit a jumper to help the visitors regain the lead, 47-46 with 7:51 left, but Burns would answer with his fifth three-pointer of the game to give Bryant the lead back and the Bulldogs would not trail again.  

Dan Hammond (Brunswick, Maine) connected on three-straight 3-point field goals to put the game away.  After shooting just 28 percent in the first half, Bryant finished the game shooting 42 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the River Hawks 42 to 29. 

UMass Lowell was led by Jerreh Saidybah's 14 points off the bench while Dashon Harper added 11.  UML shot 37 percent from the field, but made on 5 of 21 from three.

Bryant will travel to Saint Anselm Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. game before hosting fourth-ranked Bentley College next Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.  UMass Lowell will host Southern New Hampshire Wednesday at Costello Gym.  Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

At Smithfield, RI

BRYANT 66, UMASS LOWELL 55

UMASS LOWELL (6-15, 3-13 NE-10)

Jerreh Saidybah 5-6 4-5 14; Dashon Harper 4-10 0-0 11; Ali Kanaan 3-9 2-3 8;

Victor Colon 3-6 0-0 7; Kevin Carr 3-12 0-0 7; Chris Donald 2-3 2-2 6; Craig

Heatherly 1-8 0-0 2; Peter Monfort 0-1 0-0 0; Brandon Shelton 0-2 0-0 0.

Totals 21-57 8-10 55.

BRYANT (14-5, 11-4 NE-10)

Chris Burns 7-16 3-4 22; Jon Ezeokoli 4-6 4-4 13; Nick Pontes 3-6 5-6 11;

Dan Hammond 3-5 0-0 9; Jerrann Wright 2-7 0-0 4; Cecil Gresham 1-5 1-5 3;

Ryan McLean 1-2 0-0 2; Andrew Lyell 1-2 0-0 2; Orlando Baeza 0-2 0-0 0;

Peter Lambert 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-52 13-19 66.

Halftime, UMass Lowell 34-21.

3-point goals--UMass Lowell 5-21 (Dashon Harper 3-6; Kevin Carr 1-6; Victor

Colon 1-3; Craig Heatherly 0-3; Brandon Shelton 0-2; Ali Kanaan 0-1), Bryant

9-25 (Chris Burns 5-13; Dan Hammond 3-5; Jon Ezeokoli 1-2; Cecil Gresham

0-3; Orlando Baeza 0-1; Peter Lambert 0-1). Fouled out--UMass Lowell-None,

Bryant-None. Rebounds--UMass Lowell 29 (Ali Kanaan 7), Bryant 42 (Nick

Pontes 10). Assists--UMass Lowell 11 (Kevin Carr 3; Ali Kanaan 3), Bryant 11

(Cecil Gresham 3; Dan Hammond 3). Total fouls--UMass Lowell 20, Bryant 17.

Technical fouls--UMass Lowell-Chris Donald, Bryant-None. A-714