BULLDOGS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO FOUR WITH 70-59 WIN OVER ARMY SATURDAY

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – In a chippy, fast-paced game in front of a rowdy home crowd, the Bryant University men's basketball team saw four Bulldogs record double-digit points to earn a 70-59 win over Army as the team extended its winning streak to four straight Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

It was the first time this season four Bulldogs (4-2) finished in double figures, including a career-best 12 points from sophomore transfer Joe O'Shea (Burlington, Vt.) and a game-high 20 from sophomore guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.).

Senior Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) added 19 more, including going 7-for-9 from the free throw line, while junior Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) chipped in 17 on a 7-of-11 performance. Junior Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) dished out five assists despite being kept off the scoreboard and added three steals in a strong defensive outing of his own.

Ella Ellis paced the Black Knights (3-3) with 16 points and posted a game-high eight rebounds. Army won the battle on the boards, 40-35, but was outshot on the day, 44.6 percent to 39 percent.

The first half saw 20 combined turnovers plague both teams, with 11 giveaways coming through the first eight minutes of the frame. The Bulldogs settled down quickly, though, thanks to steals by Maynard and rookie Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) that sprung back-to-back dunks for O'Shea and Francis, upping the home side's lead to 9-4 with 12:52 to go.

More importantly, backed by a thunderous crowd of students and fans, the Bulldogs used the consecutive slams to swing the momentum in their favor, taking off from there to build up their lead over the next five minutes.

As the clock hit the midpoint of the frame, Dobbs hit a long 3-pointer with the shot clock in its final ticks, and another steal by Maynard the other way sparked a fastbreak opportunity for Francis, who turned a two-hand jam into a three-point play, getting fouled on the basket – his second dunk of the game – for a 19-7 advantage.

Francis followed it up with a second-chance layup under the basket for a 14-point lead as the Black and Gold outscored visiting Army, 10-2, over a 1:42 stretch. The home lead would become 30-15 with 5:45 to play in the opening half, forcing Black Knight head coach Zach Spiker to call his third timeout of the frame.

Army would score the next seven points out of the called break to close the gap to eight, but Francis's third slam of the half with 1:40 to play built the lead back to double-digits entering the final minute. It would end up as the final bucket of the frame, as Bryant entered the intermission with a 32-22 lead.

The Bulldogs shot 46.4 percent in the opening 20, paced by nine points from Francis (4-5) and Starks, who went 3-for-4, all from long distance. Army converted at a .276 clip but held the margin on the glass, 21-18, led by five from Larry Toomey.

Bryant continued to control the momentum early in the second, finding success driving the lane, and a three-point play from O'Shea four minutes in gave the Bulldogs a 44-30 edge. Starks stayed hot as well, starting the frame a perfect 4-for-4 from the field as the teams matched each other virtually shot for shot for a 48-34 margin over the first eight minutes.

The scoring would all but stop from there, though, with Army netting four points – two at the charity stripe – for the only movement on the scoreboard over a four-minute span that moved the clock down to eight remaining with a 48-38 score.

With 7:58 to play, O'Shea finally broke Bryant's scoreless streak, connecting from beyond the arc to put the hosts up, 51-38. Bryant would maintain the margin with little give through the remainder of the game, never allowing the Black Knights to close the gap to single digits en route to the 70-59 victory.

With the win, Bryant extends its winning streak to four games, all coming against opponents previously unbeaten by the Bulldogs. The Black and Gold move to 1-5 all-time against Army and tie their longest streak of consecutive wins in the Division I era (Jan. 8-20, 2011).

Bryant will have just days to enjoy the victory, however. The Bulldogs welcome Yale to the Chace Athletic Center Wednesday night for their next outing (7 p.m.).