Bulldogs top Terriers, 61-51, on Senior Day; #3 Bryant hosts #6 SHU Wed. in NEC Quarterfinals on MSG+, FCS & Cox Sports

SMITHFIELD, R.I.  – Redshirt-freshman Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Bryant University men's basketball team to a 61-51 win over first-place St. Francis Brooklyn Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at the Chace Athletic Center.

The win secures the No. 3 seed for the Bulldogs (15-14, 12-6 Northeast Conference) in next week's NEC Tournament, as the Black and Gold get set to host No. 6 Sacred Heart (14-15, 9-9) in the quarterfinals Wednesday, March 4 at 7:00 p.m. The contest will air live on MSG+, Fox College Sports and Cox Sports.

Backed by Kostur's game-best 23 points off 8-of-16 shooting from the floor and a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line, Bryant never trailed in the regular-season finale. Senior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.) added 15 points on Senior Day despite going just 2-for-15 from the field, hitting 10-of-10 from the charity stripe for the second-straight game. Sophomore forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) added 11 points with a game-best eight rebounds.

Kevin Douglas was the only Terrier (21-10, 15-3) to register double digits in the contest (13 points), while Chris Hooper (9 points) and Antonio Jenifer (2 points) each tied Garvin with a game-high eight on the glass. Brent Jones also added nine points with two assists.

Neither side shot well from the field, with Bryant's 35.4 percent topping St. Francis Brooklyn's 30.2 percent. The Terriers dominated on the glass, however, 47-33. Both teams made just a pair of 3-pointers, with the difference in the game coming from the line. The home side converted 25-of-28 (89.3 percent) free throws, while the visitors went just 11-of-21 (52.4 percent).

In a fast-paced first half, the Bulldogs broke open a 4-4 tie with a 10-minute, 21-5 run to take a 25-9 lead into the final eight minutes of the frame, forcing the Terriers into six turnovers and just a 2-for-14 shooting clip through the stretch. Kostur would score 11 of the first 15 points during the run, including a 3-pointer and two dunks.

St. Francis Brooklyn outscored the hosts, 9-6, to close out the half, but the Terriers would only draw back within 13, as junior Curtis Oakley (South Euclid, Ohio) closed out first-half scoring with a jumper to send the Bulldogs into the intermission with a 31-18 lead.

Bryant would maintain a double-digit advantage through the opening three minutes of the second stanza, but six-straight points from the Terriers would close the Bulldogs' lead to eight, 35-27, with 16:50 left on the clock. The margin would hover around that mark, with Bryant getting its first field goal of the frame – a layup from Garvin – with 14 minutes to play after starting the half 0-for-6 from the floor.

A Kostur dunk followed by two freebies from Starks pushed Bryant's lead back up to nine, 48-39, at the midway point of the half, and the Bulldogs renewed a 10-point edge, 51-41, with 7:32 remaining in the tilt.

After going 10-for-10 from the line through the game's first 34 minutes, Starks finally got on the board from the field with 5:55 left on the clock, and the senior guard's only three of the day came just 30 seconds later to put the home side on top, 56-46, with 4:26 left to play.

That triple would spark a seven-point Bulldog run to 60-46 and drain the clock down to 2:44, and that was all the room Bryant would need to complete the 61-51 upset over the NEC Regular-Season Champions.

Despite being the higher seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament, the Bulldogs have struggled against Sacred Heart this season, falling to the Pioneers twice. Bryant will look to change that trend Wednesday night in the NEC Quarterfinals, which can be seen live on NECFrontRow.com.

Tickets for Wednesday's NEC Quarterfinal can be purchased online at bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or through the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-319-TIXX beginning Tuesday at 12:00 p.m.