Sunday, November 15, 2009

World Vision Invitational: Bryant 56, Bucknell 59
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence, R.I.

BULLDOGS RUN OUT OF TIME IN SECOND-HALF COMEBACK, FALL TO BUCKNELL, 59-56, SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Boxscore

PROVIDENCE - The Bryant University men's basketball team surprised in Sunday's World Vision Invitational finale, but despite 42.4 percent second-half shooting and 26 points from senior Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.), the Bulldogs would run out of time before completing their second-half comeback, falling to Bucknell University, 59-56, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.

After fighting through a 20-point deficit early in the second frame, the Bulldogs (0-3) found themselves facing just a seven-point deficit, 55-48, as the game clock ticked under a minute.

Senior Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) dribbled down the court and with a quick glance toward the sideline found teammate Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) and sent the ball flying his way. With a quick clutch and a short pause, Birrell gave the Bulldogs a three-point boost, driving the score to 55-51.

After a made free throw from Bucknell's Bryson Johnson, junior Barry Latham (Tauton, Mass.) picked the best possible time to take - and make - his only trey of the contest, drawing the Bryant side to within two little points, 56-54, with 32 seconds to play in Sunday's game.

From the top row of the Dunkin' Donuts Center crowd straight down to the team benches, the masses held their breath.

And while Bucknell (1-2) was feeling the pressure in the closing seconds - the Bison were just 3-for-6 from the line in the last 31 ticks - time would run out on the Black and Gold, who fell by just three, 59-56, against one of their toughest opponents of the season's early goings.

Bryant came out with a new look against the Bison, welcoming rookie Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) and senior Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) to the starting five alongside Gresham, Birrell and sophomore Papa Lo (Thies, Senegal). The new configuration had an immediate impact, invigorating a team that had been cold in the opening 20 minutes of the past two contests.

The Bulldogs moved the ball well in the first frame and continued the trend throughout the game, getting good looks from much of their lineup thanks in part to much-improved passing. And while the Bulldogs still struggled to make their shots fall, so did the Bison, who faced a strong defensive front that was non-existent in Bryant's first two outings.

For the first time this year, Lo provided a truly effective defensive presence, leading the team as it forced Bucknell into tougher shots under increased pressure. That push kept the teams close through the frame's first 15 minutes.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the 2009-10 season 7:22 into the contest, when Birrell pulled down an offensive board to sink a jumper from the left side for a 7-5 edge. The teams would trade the lead over the next five minutes, but the Bulldogs' efforts started to turn sour with 5:43 still to play before the halftime break.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Johnson sparked an eight-point run that gave the Bison a 21-11 advantage that they kept until just inside the two-minute mark, when Gresham got the Bulldogs back on the board. The score came after Jordan took the dribble into pressure down the key, kicking the ball out to Gresham on the wing for a wide-open jumper with 1:53 to play.

And while Bryant would close the gap to seven, 22-15, a trey from Bucknell's Bryan Cohen in the closing seconds gave the Bison a double-digit lead heading to the locker room.

Gresham led the game with nine points at the half, and neither team would hit with 30 percent accuracy in the frame, as Bryant converting on 28.6 percent (6-21) to lead both teams.

Out of the break, the Bison would dig Bryant an even bigger hole to open the second frame, as the Bulldogs fell behind by as many as 20 with 14:18 remaining in the game. But over the next 5:33, the Bulldogs did what many doubted they could. In just over five minutes, Bryant would outscore Bucknell, 21-4, to come back to within three, 43-40, with seven minutes on the clock.

Over the stretch, Bryant forced weak shot selection and a trio of Bucknell turnovers, coupling it with lights-out shooting from Gresham, who accounted for 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from long range.

The run, kickstarted by a Latham bucket at the 13:33 mark, saw the Bulldogs drop in five three-point plays (four from downtown and a completed and-one) and was capped off by eight-straight Gresham points, the final coming as the result of an off-balance shot from beyond the arc.

Consecutive baskets from the Bison gave the visitors back an eight-point lead, 48-40, but the Bulldogs would not be shut down, trading points as the minutes ticked away.

A flashy spin move from Parzych in the paint shook off pressure for an easy layup with 3:38 to play to close the gap to six, 50-44, before Bucknell coach Dave Paulsen slowed the game down, burning his 60-second timeout.

But despite Bucknell's mediocre shooting from the stripe, the Bulldogs would run out of time before completing their hard-fought comeback attempt, getting one final layup from Jordan with six-tenths of a second for the 59-56 final.

In spite of the loss, the Bulldogs improved on almost every facet of their game Sunday afternoon, upping their stock on defense - Bryant got a game-best five blocks from Lo and held the Bison to 33.3 percent shooting on the day - and on the glass, getting edged in rebounds just 40-36.

Gresham's 26 points were a game high and season best for the senior, who went 9-for-16 from the floor on the day. Parzych pulled down a game-best eight boards and chipped in three assists and seven points while Lo was also strong on the glass, getting seven rebounds. As a team, Bryant shot 37 percent (20-for-54) on the day with a 41.2 percent clip (7-of-17) from three-point range.

Bucknell was led by 12 points from Mike Muscala while three Bison recorded six boards.

Bryant will have just four days to continue to work off its newly gained confidence before taking the court again, as the Bulldogs travel to Harvard on Friday, Nov. 20 for a 7 p.m. matchup in Cambridge, Mass.