Bulldogs outlasted by Pioneers, 112-110, in program’s first triple overtime game at the Division I level

SMITHFIELD, R.I – Freshman Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) netted a program-record nine threes and the Bryant University men's basketball team set four Division I single-game records, but Quincy McKnight went off for 44 points to lead Sacred Heart to a 112-110 win in the first Northeast Conference triple overtime game since 2010 and highest scoring league affair since 2003.   

The Bulldogs (5-13, 2-4 NEC) used a 19-4 run in the first half that was initiated by a Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) triple to take a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining. Though the Pioneers (8-11, 3-3) were able to trim the deficit to three early in the second frame thanks to 10-straight points from McKnight, the Bulldogs extended the margin to 13, 57-44, with 13:36 to go. Grant hit a pair of triple and freshman point Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) drained two shots during the run.

With the deficit still at double-digits two minutes later and the hosts having led for almost 18-straight minutes, the Pioneers scored 11-conseuctive points to knot things up, 60-60, at the 8:33 mark. Just three minutes later, McKnight slashed to the rim and gave the visitors their first lead in over 25 minutes of play, 66-64.

Sacred Heart led nearly the remainder of regulation, as a Matej Buovac three and a Sean Hoehn free throw made it 77-71 with under 40 seconds to play. The Bulldogs were in need of a spark, as Zouzoua, the league's best scorer, left the game late in the first half due to an injury. Grant stepped up and had one of the hottest 30 seconds of his life.

Grant netted a three running to his left from the left wing in front of his bench to make it 77-74 with 26 ticks to go. After two Hoehn free throws, Grant got the ball, stepped back with a hand in his face and buried another triple from the left wing to make it 79-77 with 17 seconds left.

McKnight was quickly fouled and sent to the line for two shots. He hit the first but missed the second, and the hot hand of the freshman guard was fed immediately after. Grant again got the ball on the left wing, jab stepped to the right with a double-team coming, took one dribble to the left, elevated over the defenders and drained the equalizer with 6.7 seconds to play. McKnight strolled up the floor, took a contested jumper from the left elbow as the game clock expired, but his shot was short and the action went into overtime.

The visitors struck first in the extra frame and maintained an edge for the first 2:20, before Grant confidently connected on his eighth triple to tie the game at 88-88. The Bulldogs missed their next two shots and Sacred Heart again had a three-point edge with under 20 seconds to go. Grant bounced a pass to Ndugba in the corner, who created separation by dribbling to his left and he splashed in a three to tie the contest at 91-91 with 13 seconds to go. The Pioneers had another chance to win the game in the final seconds of OT, but could not get a clean look.

Ndugba added to his career day with a triple to start the second overtime, giving the hosts their first lead in 12 minutes of action. Sacred Heart came right back and grabbed three separate leads over the next three minutes including a McKnight free throw to put it up, 99-98.

On the ensuing trip, Grant went to the basket for a layin and the contested attempt went strong off the backboard, but freshman Sabastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) muscled for the rebound and cleaned up the miss while getting fouled, giving Bryant a 101-99 edge. But McKnight calmly took the ball to the hoop and tied the game with under 20 seconds to go, sending the contest to a third overtime.

After McKnight hit a trey from the corner to put him at 42 points and give his team a 106-105 lead 1:07 into the third OT, Grant dribbled between his legs with a larger and slower defender guarding him. He stepped into the record-setting three that raddled in to give the hosts a 108-106 advantage at the 2:46 mark. Charles Tucker immediately answered with a quick layin and McKnight converted two free throws with under two minutes, as Sacred Heart regained the lead.

On the next possession, Grant drew a double team on a drive to the middle, fed Townes down low with a beautiful no-look pass, and his fellow rookie knotted the score at 110-110. After five combined misses, the Pioneers had the ball with 10 seconds to play. McKnight glided up the court, got to the foul line and waited for the defense to collapse on him before dumping it off to a wide open Joseph Lopez for an easy layup with three seconds to play, putting SHU ahead, 112-110. Sophomore Taylor McHugh (Centreville, Va.) had to work quickly on the inbounds, but he could not get the shot to fall after crossing half court and the Pioneers prevailed in the classic.

Grant went 11-for-26 overall and 9-for-16 from beyond the arc to go along with five boards and five steals. His 32 points are the second-most by a Bryant freshman in the program's Division I history. He is the first freshman in NEC history to hit at least nine threes in a game and the treys are the sixth-most all-time in conference history. Ndugba netted a career-best 22 points to go along with seven assists, Townes added 11 points in just 10 minutes of action off the bench and junior Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) went 6-of-12 from the floor for 16 points before fouling out before the end of regulation.

McKnight went 16-for-26 from the floor and hit four threes of his own, as he also tallied nine boards and six helpers. Buovac hit four threes as well for 18 points off the bench, Lopez grabbed a contest-best 10 boards to go along with his 19 points, Hoehn netted 16 and Chris Robinson added 10 points.

Despite 55 minutes of play, both sides shot extremely well. The Pioneers hit 52.7 percent of their shots (39-74) and 40.7 percent of their threes (11-27). The Bulldogs attempted a Division I record 85 shots and knocked down a DI high 40, as they connected on 45.2 percent of their triples (14-31). Bryant's 15 steals were also a DI record as were the 110 points. The 44 points from McKnight and the 32 from Grant made the contest the first since Feb. 5, 2015 in which two NEC players scored at least 30 points in the same game. It is also the first time since 2005 that two NEC teams scored 100 points or more in the same contest.  

The Bulldogs will look to rest up for their final non-conference game of the season when they host Harvard Monday at 7:00 p.m.