Zouzoua reaches 1,000 as Bulldogs win regular-season finale

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) scored a game-high 27 points to become the 36th player in program history to record 1,000 career points as the Bryant University men's basketball team wrapped up the 2017 regular season with a convincing 91-77 victory over Central Connecticut on Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

With the win, the Bulldogs finish the regular season 12-19 overall and 9-9 in Northeast Conference play, and have now won nine of the last 10 meetings with the Blue Devils (6-23, 4-14). Bryant's win, coupled with Saint Francis U.'s victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, means the Bulldogs will either be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed depending on the result of the Sacred Heart-Robert Morris game.

On Saturday, Zouzoua led the Bulldogs' offensive onslaught with 27 points thanks to a career-high tying seven 3s. He finished the game 10-of-21 from the field and 7-of-14 from the beyond the arc to become the fastest player in Division I program history to reach 1,000 points.

Three others joined Zouzoua in double figures as junior Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) finished with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists, classmate Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, Ga.) scored a season-high 10 points and sophomore Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.) added 10 and five rebounds. Senior Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) made his first start since Nov. 25 and finished with nine points, a game-high 11 rebounds and two blocks. Bryant shot 50.8 percent from the field and made 13 3s for the second time in three games.

Central Connecticut was paced by 17 points apiece from Austin Nehls and Chris Williams. Khalen Cumberlander finished with 10 points and three steals. The Blue Devils shot 49 percent from the field on the game.

Tight early, the Black and Gold used a 9-3 run to expand a six-point lead to 12 with 4:04 left in the first half. A three-point play from Ware started the stretch and he finished it with four-straight free throws to make it 33-21.

The Blue Devils battled back, however, cutting the deficit to just three, 38-35, at the half. A 7-0 run made it a five-point game with 1:14 left and Nehls completed a rare four-point play with one second left to bring CCSU within three.

Bryant's lead remained at three through the first six minutes of the second half until a 23-5 run broke the game open. Back-to-back 3s from Zouzoua sparked an eight-point run and he added seven more during a 10-0 run that made it 74-53 with 8:06 remaining.

The Black and Gold put the game away with a 9-0 run with just over five minutes to play. The run was highlighted by a beautiful three-point play by Pettway and a razzle-dazzle alley-oop from Taylor McHugh (Centreville, Va.) to Garvin.

Bryant will now await the results of Saturday's late games. The Bulldogs do know one thing, they will be on the road for the NEC Tournament that starts on Wednesday night at campus sites.