Bulldogs drop nailbiter to RMU, 77-75

MEN'S BAKSETBALL FALLS TO ROBERT MORRIS, 77-75, IN FRONT OF PACKED HOUSE THURSDAY NIGHT

SMITHFIELD, R.I.—In front of a sold out Chace Athletic Center crowd, the Bryant University men's basketball team came up just short against Northeast Conference leader Robert Morris, 77-75, Thursday night.

Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) knocked down a huge 3-pointer with 48 seconds left on the clock that pulled the host Bulldogs (18-10, 11-6 Northeast Conference) within just two points, 71-69, but Karvel Anderson answered right back for the Colonials (21-9, 13-4 NEC), pushing the lead to five points.

A Vlad Kondratyev (Nikolayev, Ukraine) dunk brought Bryant within three as the Bulldogs were forced to foul, sending Lucky Jones to the line where he buried both freebies. With time running out for the Black and Gold, Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.) raced down the floor and knocked down a deep three-ball, cutting the lead to just two, 76-74, with only seconds remaining.

Anthony Myers-Pate hit just 1-of-2 from the line, giving Bryant a chance, however strong defense from Robert Morris in the final seconds proved to be too much for the Bulldogs as the visitors prevailed with a 77-75 victory.

Junior Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) paced the Bulldogs with 22 points and 11 rebounds, his ninth double-double this season (fifth in the last eight games), while senior Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) added 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 37 minutes. Starks added 17 points and Maynard finished with nine points and seven boards.

Anderson led all scorers with 24 points, including 5-of-11 from 3-point range. Lucky Jones and Velton Jones finished with 17 and 12 points, respectively, with Velton Jones dishing out seven assists.

The Bulldogs shot 59 percent from the field, including an astounding 68 percent in the second half, while Robert Morris finished at a 43 percent clip for the game. However, the Colonials turned the ball over just twice (once in each half) compared to Bryant's 16 giveaways.

The Bulldogs dominated the painted area posting 34 of their 75 points in the lane, while outrebounding the Colonials, 38-22. 

With the high energy in the arena matching the intensity on the hardwood, the Bulldogs opened up a slim 14-13 advantage through just five minutes of play.

As both teams remained hot from the field the Bulldog lead stayed constant, yet slim, 23-21, just over halfway through the opening frame. The two squads traded buckets through the three minute mark until Bryant opened up a six point edge, 34-28 with just over a minute to play until the break.

Some great play on the defensive glass by the Black and Gold paid off as the Bulldogs earned a pair of trips to the charity stripe, building their lead to nine, 37-28, with just seconds to play until intermission. A deep three by Jones with time expiring brought the Colonials within six points, 37-31, heading into the locker room.

Francis lead all scorers at the break with 14 points to go along with his game-high eight rebounds, while Dobbs put up eight points and three assists in 18 minutes of play. Williams led Robert Morris with nine points and Jones added eight.

The Colonials came storming out of halftime with a trio of quick scores, closing the gap to just a single points, 38-37, just two minutes into the final period. The Bulldogs buckled down and were able to halt the visitor's run, holding their advantage, 42-39, through the 16 minute mark.

An Anderson trifecta at 15:10 granted the Colonials their first lead since the opening minutes of the game, 44-42, but a Francis free throw and a huge 3-pointer from Starks at 13:08 pushed the Black and Gold back out front, 46-44. The 8-0 Bulldog run spanned just under five minutes as the Bulldogs found themselves up four points with just 10 minutes remaining on the clock.

A thunderous dunk from Francis was quickly followed by a pair of Anderson deep balls which knotted the score at 54-54, silencing the packed Chace Center crowd in the process. In true back-and-fourth fashion, the Bulldogs answered right away with a Starks' And-one, which pushed Bryant out front, 57-54, at the under-eight media timeout.

After a pair of free throws from Dobbs, Anderson continued to menace Bryant on the offensive end, completing a three-point play the old fashioned way as the hosts advantage stood at two with 6:27 left in the game.

A Lucky Jones triple at 5:44 of the second half gave the visiting Colonials a 60-59 advantage with just over five minutes to play, but a Maynard free throw evened the two squads at 60-60. A pair of back-to-back buckets from Lucky Jones and Velton Jones pushed the visitors in front by four points, but a Francis layup brought the Bulldogs within a single basket with 3:45 to play.

Lucky Jones answered with a 3-pointer as the Robert Morris edge ballooned to five points. Dobbs kept the Bulldogs alive with a quick score and a pair from the charity stripe as the lead stood at one, 67-66, with two minutes left on the clock. The Colonials had a response for every Bryant push as a Velton Jones floater and a Lucky Jones put-back granted Robert Morris a five-point edge with under a minute to play.

With just one game remaining on their 2012-13 slate, the Bulldogs will welcome Saint Francis U. to Smithfield on Saturday as the look to secure a top seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament. Tip is set for 4 p.m.

For all the latest news on the Bryant University men's basketball team, visit BryantBulldogs.com.