January 8, 2008

BRYANT MEN FALL TO ASSUMPTION 74-72 IN OVERTIME
- Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball -

Sophomore Cecil Gresham (above) continued his strong play with 15 points and 13 rebounds against Assumption Tuesday night.  www.dspics.com

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Greg Twomey scored five of his 18 points in overtime as visiting Assumption College held off a late second half surge by host Bryant to earn a 74-72 win over the Bulldogs in Northeast-10 Conference action Tuesday night.  The win improves the Greyhounds to 12-4 overall (passing last year's win total of 11) and 6-3 in league play. 

Bryant, which played the entire second half and overtime period without leading scorer Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, NJ) who left midway through the first half with an ankle injury, was led by Cecil Gresham's (Bloomfield, CT) 15 points and 13 rebounds.  The loss drops the Bulldogs to 8-7 on the season (4-6 NE-10). 

Trailing 57-47 with nine minutes left, Bryant pulled to within 63-61 thanks to a Barry Latham (Taunton, Mass.) offensive put-back with 1:28 left.  On Assumption's next possession, Mitch Bajema missed a baseline three and Bryant's Chris Birrell (Scituate, RI) grabbed the rebound and went coast-to-coast to tie the game at 63-63. 

Assumption would go up 65-63, but Gresham bailed the Bulldogs out, knocking down a turnaround jumper from the top of the key with 22.6 seconds left in regulation.  The Greyhounds had a chance to win it, but Twomey's baseline jumper came up short in the final seconds.

In the extra session, Bryant took its first lead of the game, 68-67 on a turnaround jumper in the lane by Jerrann Wright (Cincinnati, OH) with 4:00 left, but a Twomey free throw and Corey Diethorn (15 points, 15 rebounds) jumper helped the Greyhounds hold on.  Bryant went just 2 for 7 from the floor in overtime and made just 11 of 23 (47.8 percent) from the free throw line for the game.  The Bulldogs did hold a 50 to 40 rebound edge and got 10 points and three blocks from Latham.  Birrell finished with 14 points and four assists. 

Assumption shot 41.4 percent from the floor in the game and placed four players in double figures.  Guard Mike Foti had 17 points including four 3-point field goals before fouling out. 

Bryant will travel to Pace University on Thursday evening for a 7:30 pm game.

*** Postgame Notes

* Tuesday's game was the first overtime game since a 65-61 win over Franklin Pierce in overtime on Feb. 6, 2007.

* Cecil Gresham grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds, passing his previous best of seven rebounds vs. Stonehill last season.

* Gresham's 15 pts, 13 rebound performance was his first double-double of his career.  It was also the fifth double-double this season (2 by Jerrann Wright and 2 by Jon Ezeokoli).

* Peter Lambert grabbed a career-high 4 rebounds in 36 minutes of action.