SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant men's basketball team opens a string of three-straight road games on Thursday night in Burlington, Vt., against the University of Vermont. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.

Bryant has just four regular season games remaining and the next three will be on the road. It will be Bryant's lone game this week as the Bulldogs will have their second and final bye of the season on Saturday.

The Particulars
Opponent: Vermont
Location: Patrick Gymnasium (Burlington, Vt.)
Date and Time: Thursday, Feb. 20 - 7:00 PM 
Live Stats: Sidearm
Watch: ESPN+
Game Notes: Bryant | Vermont
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEMBB

THE SERIES

• Vermont owns a 5-2 lead in the all-time series. The Catamounts had won five consecutive games, including all four meetings as America East foes, before the Black and Gold earned a 73-53 victory on Jan. 11, 2025. Bryant has never won at Patrick Gymnasium.
• The Catamounts led that game 24-14 before the Bulldogs went on a 43-8 run over the next 17 minutes of gameplay. 
• Connor Withers led the Bulldogs with 19 points, while Rafael Pinzon (13), Barry Evans (13) and Earl Timberlake (12) all finished in double figures.

STATE OF THE AMERICA EAST

• Bryant enters the week at 11-1 and in first place in the America East. The Bulldogs hold a 2.5 game lead over Vermont and Maine, who are both 8-3 on the year.
• Vermont owns the tiebreaker with Maine, having swept the season series with the Black Bears. 
• Things get murkier after the top three as the remaining six teams have at least six losses. UAlbany (5-6), Binghamton (5-7), New Hampshire (5-7) and UMass Lowell (4-7) are all within a game of each other for fourth place. 
• With its win on Feb. 15 vs UMBC, Bryant secured a top four seed in the 2025 Men's #AEHoops Playoffs.

BRYANT HOLDS OFF UMBC RALLY ON SATURDAY

• Bryant improved to 8-3 at home with an 81-79 victory over UMBC on Saturday. The Bulldogs built a 14-point lead in the first half but UMBC used a 16-0 run that spanned the first and second half to take the lead in the second.
• The Retrievers would lead by as many as five before the Bulldogs finally grabbed the lead for good late. Keyshawn Mitchell broke a 75-75 tie with two free throws at the 2:45 mark and then finished at the rim on the next possession to put the Black and Gold up four.
• Rafael Pinzon finished with 27 points on 5-of-13 from three. Earl Timberlake (20 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast) and Mitchell (12 pts, 11 reb) each added double-doubles.

EARL HAVING A YEAR

• Earl Timberlake is enjoying a career year for the Bulldogs, entering Thursday averaging 15.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 4.6 apg. He is also one of two players in the league averaging a double-double in AE play, sitting at 15.0 ppg and 10.2 rpg.
• Timberlake also ranks second in the league in assists and blocks.
• Recently, Timberlake was named the America East Player of the Week after averaging 20.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 4.5 apg in wins over NJIT and UMBC. He posted back-to-back 20-point double-doubles and now has seven double-doubles in America East play.

SATURDAY'S ARE FOR RAF

• Rafael Pinzon poured in a game-high 27 points in Bryant's win over UMBC on Saturday. The performance was his 10th 20-point outing of the year and moved him into a tie for first in the league in scoring at 18.4 ppg.
• It also continued a Saturday trend for Pinzon, who is now averaging 21.1 ppg in seven Saturday America East games. He is shooting 47 percent from the field and 43 percent from three.
• Pinzon has recorded 30, 29, 27 and 27 points, respectively, over his last four Saturday games.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Bryant enters Thursday averaging a league-best 83.3 ppg in America East games. The Black and Gold have scored 80+ points in 9-of-12 games. Bryant also ranks first in field goal defense (.404), 3pFG/game (8.3), rebounding (41.7, +6.9), turnovers (9.6), assists (16.2) and blocks (6.8).  
2. Timberlake is second in the league in double-doubles with 11 and has posted five double-doubles in his last seven games. 
3. Keyshawn Mitchell recorded his first double-double since St. John's last Saturday and now has four on the year. He is averaging 8.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg this year.
4. Barry Evans has posted 3+ assists in four of his last five games and is averaging 2.8 apg in America East play. That's in addition to his 13.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg. 
5. Bryant has been one of the nation's best offensive rebounding teams this season, ranking 30th nationally with 13.26 per game. Mitchell (3.0) and Timberlake (2.7) rank 2-3 in the America East in offensive rebounds per game.