Maynard nets 22, Wildcats top Bulldogs

TUCSON, Ariz. – Sophomore Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) netted a career-high 22 points off 9-of-14 shooting and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds Thursday against the University of Arizona, but the Wildcats proved too much for the Bulldogs to handle as the hosts took a 100-60 victory at the McKale Center.

Maynard led a trio of Bulldogs (1-11) in double figures, as classmate Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) added 17 on 6-of-8 shooting and junior Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) added 12 off 50 percent shooting from the floor (4-of-8) and from 3-point land (3-of-6) while dishing out a game-high six assists in 37 minutes.

Five Wildcats (9-4) finished in double digits, paced by a double-double from Jesse Perry (16 points, 10 rebounds) and a game-high 18 points from Brendon Lavender, who scored all 18 from downtown, including a 5-of-6 mark from beyond the arc in the second frame alone.

The Bulldogs were able to keep the game close for the opening 13 minutes thanks to the shooting of Maynard and Francis, who led the game at the break with 12 and 10 points, respectively. But when Bryant got stuck on a pair of short dry streaks, the Arizona offense capitalized, using a 7-0 run in the middle of the frame to open a double-digit lead, 31-20, for the first time with 5:41 to go.

Bryant cut a 14-point deficit back to eight with 3:57 to play on back-to-back 3-pointers from rookie Ben Altit (Herzeliya, Israel) and Dobbs, but the Bulldogs would get just one more basket – a drive through the key from Maynard – before the end of the half to take a 46-31 score into the intermission.

The Black and Gold shot 50 percent (12-of-24) from the field in the first and held Arizona to 41 percent shooting, but the Wildcats put a stop to Bryant's sharpshooting right out of the gates in the second stanza, outscoring their visitors, 27-6, to open the half.

Arizona would hold the Bulldogs to 39.3 percent shooting in the final 20 while shooting an impeccable 66.7 percent and would outscore the Bulldogs, 54-29, in the stanza for the 100-60 final.

Lavender was a big part of the home side's second-half dominance, hitting five triples in a 3:35 span to move the score from 65-37 to 85-42 almost single handedly.

The Bulldogs turned the ball over 16 times in the game, resulting in 23 Arizona points off turnovers. A far deeper and taller Arizona side outrebounded the visiting Bulldogs by a 42-24 margin, a gap that led to 24 second-chance points for the Wildcats. Arizona also got 19 points off free throws to Bryant's six.

On the night, Bryant shot 44.2 percent, while Arizona posted a 51.5 percent mark while hitting 56.5 percent from long range.

Thursday's game ended the Bulldogs' five-game road streak, and Bryant will next return to play Dec. 31 at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I., for just the team's second home game of the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs will host Lehigh University at 1 p.m.