SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team hosts UMBC Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Particulars
Opponent: UMBC
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Thursday, Feb. 1 - 7:00 PM EST
Live Stats: Presto
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets: Buy Now
Game Notes: Bryant | UMBC
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEMBB
THE SERIES
Bryant and UMBC meet for the second time this season on Thursday. The Bulldogs picked up their first-ever victory over the Retrievers, 81-67, in the America East opener for both teams on Jan. 6. In that game, Sherif Gross-Bullock scored a career-high 41 points as the Bulldogs erased a halftime deficit in Baltimore.
YEAR TWO OF AMERICA EAST
Bryant is off to a 5-1 start in its second year as a member of the America East. The Bulldogs won their first five games before falling to Vermont on Saturday at the Chace.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Bryant enters Saturday ranked third nationally with 6.5 blocks per game and 13th nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.7 percent).
GOOD GRIEF, REEF
Sherif Gross-Bullock became just the third player in DI program history to record 40+ points in a game when he scored a career-high 41 at UMBC. SGB finished 16-of-24 from the field, joining Charles Pride (44) and Alex Francis (43) as the only three players to reach 40+. SGB scored 20+ in a six-game stretch from Dec. 22-Jan. 20, joining Alex Francis, Nisre Zouzoua and Peter Kiss as the only players in DI program history to accomplish that feat.
FIVE MORE THINGS TO KNOW
- SGB enters Thursday ranked third in the America East with 18.8 ppg, ranking second with 21.5 ppg in league play. Gross-Bullock has posted nine 20-point games this season, second in the America East.
- Timberlake enters Saturday with one of the league's best overall stat lines, averaging 14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.5 bpg and 1.2 spg. He ranks second in the league with eight double-doubles and is averaging 16.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg in conference play.
- Daniel Rivera is averaging 13.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg in league play. He also ranks 13th nationally, and first among AE players, with 2.3 blocks per game.
- Rafael Pinzon is averaging 10.3 ppg in America East play, while his assists per game has jumped to 2.7 in league play. He grabbed a career-high seven rebounds vs Vermont.
- Bryant is one of three teams in the country to have five players score 25+ points in a game this season (New Mexico, Wright St.). Sherif Gross-Bullock (41), Connor Withers (32), Rafael Pinzon (28), Earl Timberlake (26) and Daniel Rivera (25) have all posted career highs this season.
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