Bulldogs erase 20-point second-half deficit to win 2OT thriller at the Mount, 82-79, Saturday afternoon

EMMITSBURG, Md – The Bryant University men's basketball team found itself in a 20-point hole early in the second frame, but clawed all the way back to force two overtimes, before taking its first lead in the second OT, ultimately escaping with a 82-79 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon.

Five Bulldogs (6-11, 3-1 NEC) finished in double-figures for the third time in four games. Senior captain Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) paced all performers with 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with a contest-best eight assists. Sophomore Gus Riley (Nelson, New Zealand) poured in 12 bench points on a 4-of-5 effort from the floor, netting two huge threes. Freshman Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) and Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.) statted 15 points/five boards and 13 points/seven boards, respectively. Junior forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) finished with 15 points going 6-for-9 from the field to go along with five caroms.

The 5'5 guard Junior Robinson headed the Mountaineers (6-11, 3-1 NEC) with 20 points and four triples, while the 7'0 center Taylor Danaher netted 19 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor. Will Miller sank a game-best five treys to tally his 15 points, and BK Ashe splashed in 14 points.

The Bulldogs shot just 30 percent from the floor in the first half and 25 percent from long range, but heated up in the second frame and both OTs. Bryant shot 64 percent from the field in the second 20 and 43 percent from beyond the arc while draining 60 percent of its shots in the two overtimes. The Mount shot over 53 percent from the floor in the opening stanza and over 45 percent from downtown. In the second frame and both OTs, the hosts shot just 40 percent from the floor and just 29 percent from distance.

The Mountaineers built up a double-digit edge midway through the first half, and carried the wide margin into the second frame, attaining a 40-20 lead at the 18:26 mark of the final stanza. The Bulldogs would inch closer, bringing the deficit to just 10 points three separate times, with the final double-digit margin coming at the 6:20 mark after a Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, Ga.) layup made it 56-46.

Following a Robinson missed three, Riley swished a 3-pointer to bring the Black and Gold within single digits for the first time in nearly 22 full minutes of action, making it 56-49 at the 5:47 mark. Ware came up with perhaps his biggest play of the season on the next Mountaineer possession, stripping the ball from Charles Glover on the baseline, only to save it from going out of bounds. The pass ended up in the hands of Zouzoua who threw it down with two hands on the fast break to make it 56-51 with 5:20 to play.

After Robinson tacked on a pair of freebies, Pettway brought the Bulldogs even closer with consecutive buckets in the post to make it 58-55 with 2:30 to play. After Danaher hit a lay in to put the Mount up five with 2:14 to go, Head Coach Tim O'Shea called a timeout, inserting Riley back into the contest. On the Bulldog possession following the stoppage, the Nelson, New Zealand, native canned a triple to bring the Bulldogs to within just two, 60-58, with 1:56 in the frame.

Ashe missed two shot attempts over the next minute and a half, giving the Bulldogs the rock down two with 19 seconds in regulation. McLaughlin received the inbounds pass and crossed over from the left side of the floor to his strong side, immediately attacking the rack and tied the game with just 0.8 seconds remaining. Robinson chucked up a full court shot at the buzzer, but it came up well short, as the game went into overtime.

Danaher's height posed problems for the Bulldogs all afternoon, as he scored the first five points for the hosts to start the OT, giving the Mount a 65-62 edge with 2:50 play. On the next Bulldog possession, Zouzoua went right after Danaher inside, finishing in the paint while absorbing the contact. The frosh converted the 3-point play to tie it, 65-65, with just over two minutes to play in the extra frame.

The Mountaineers regained the lead after a Khalid Nwandu steal and layin, and added to the edge after a Pettway missed layup from point blank range. The miss led to a Robinson scoop on the other end, making it 69-65 with just 55 seconds in the OT.

Two free throws from Zouzoua made it 69-67 with 43 tics remaining, and after a Gregory Graves missed triple, McLaughlin grabbed the board and got fouled by Danaher, which sent the big fella to the bench with his fifth personal.

McLaughlin missed the first attempt on the one-and-one, but Riley grabbed the offensive board and got fouled, sending him to the line where he netted two clutch freebies, tying the contest at 69-69. Robinson had a chance to win the game in the first overtime, but missed a contested layup on the final possession, sending the game into a second extra frame.

Robinson drained a triple on the opening Mountaineer possession of the second OT, but McLaughlin tied the game on the Bulldogs next trip with three-straight unconventional points. The Old Tappan, N.J. product got fouled, sending him to the line where he hit the first of two, but he cleaned up his own miss after the second attempt and knotted the score, 72-72.   

With the score held in check, 72-72, Zouzoua corralled a defensive rebound, and gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, 74-72, with 2:44 to play on a reverse layup. On the Mount's next trip, Nwandu turned it over, leading to a Ware layup on the fast break to give Bryant a 76-72 edge with 2:22 to go.  

Following two makes at the charity stripe from Gregory, McLaughlin missed a well-contest layup, but Riley was there for the putback to bring the Bryant lead back to four points, 78-74, with 1:34 remaining in the second OT.    

Three makes from McLaughlin at the line built the Bulldog lead to five points, 81-76, with just 27 seconds to go, sending a portion of the home crowd to exit doors. The game was far from over, as Miller drilled a triple on the next Mountaineer possession to make it 81-79 with 19 seconds to play.

With a full court press being applied, the Mount forced a turnover of Ware on the ensuing Bulldog inbounds and had a chance to tie or win the game, down by just two with no timeouts. Ashe hoisted up a corner trey with three seconds on the clock, but Ware atoned for the previous error by blocking the attempt, and Pettway was there to snare the defensive rebound before getting fouled with 0.4 tics remaining. Pettway missed one of two from the line, giving the Mount one last chance, but the desperation heave at the buzzer came up well short.

The win is not only the program's first victory in Emmitsburg, but it marks the first time since Jan. 23, 2014 that the Bulldogs have overcome a double-digit halftime deficit, and the first double overtime game for Bryant since its scintilating, 91-85, win over Sacred Heart in last year's NEC quarterfinal game.

The Bulldogs are now in second place in the NEC through four league games, and will look to maintain or improve their standing when they return home for four-straight contests at the Chace Athletic Center. The Black and Gold host St. Francis Brooklyn on Thursday, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m.