Bryant downed by Albany, 84-68; Carroll, McHugh post season-highs in scoring

ALBANY, N.Y. – Freshman Brandon Carroll (Brewster, N.Y.) posted a career night in his first collegiate start, but the Bryant University men's basketball team was defeated on the road by Albany, 84-68, Wednesday night at SEFCU Arena to open the Houzz Gotham Classic Presented by TicketIQ.

Carroll tallied 15 points and five rebounds, while junior Taylor McHugh (Centreville, Va.) added a season-high 11 points. Sophomores Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) and Sabastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) were also in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

GAME INFORMATION
Albany 84, Bryant 68
Records: Bryant (1-8), Albany (9-1)
Location: SEFCU Arena (Albany, N.Y.)
Attendance: 2,012

KEY MOMENTS

• Three-pointers from sophomore Tanner Johnson (Lexington, Ky.) and Carroll gave the Bulldogs an 18-16 lead with 11:41 to go in the first half.
• McHugh hit a three-pointer on the Bulldogs' final offensive possession of the first half to send the teams into the locker room tied at 37.
• Albany shot 70 percent from the floor in the first 11 minutes of the second half to take a 63-50 advantage. After a Ndugba three brought the deficit back to within 10, Albany answered with a 7-0 run.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bryant scored the first five points of the game but Albany answered to take a 9-7 lead at the first media timeout. Sophomore Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) had five points in the opening four minutes.
• Albany led 14-12 before three-pointers from Johnson and Carroll around a Great Dane layup gave the Bulldogs an 18-16 lead with 11:40 to go in the opening half.
• There were six ties and seven lead changes in the first 17 minutes, as Albany eventually took a 29-27 lead with 4:18 to go in the half. The Great Danes led 37-34 before a three-pointer from McHugh sent the teams to the locker room tied at 37.
• Albany shot 12-for-17 in the first 11 minutes of the second half to push its lead to as high as 13.
• A three-pointer from Ndugba cut it to 10, but the Great Danes responded with a 7-0 run to take control down the stretch.

STATS

• Carroll had a career-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting while adding five rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks.
• Ndugba recorded 13 points and seven assists.
• McHugh's season-high 11 points came on 3-of-6 shooting and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.
• Townes had 11 points with nine of them in the second half.
• Freshman Ryan Layman (Wrentham, Mass.) added eight points and a career-high nine rebounds.
• The Bulldogs recorded an assist on 21 of 24 made field goals.

GAME NOTES

• Bryant falls to 0-3 against Albany in the Bulldogs' Division I era.
• Ndugba was in double figures for the seventh-straight game and 15^th time in his Bryant career.
• Johnson scored his first points of the season with a first-half three-pointer.

UP NEXT
Bryant is back in action Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Bulldogs travel to Memphis as part of the Houzz Gotham Classic Presented by TicketIQ. The game against the Tigers can be seen on ESPN3.

Season and single-game tickets for the 2017-18 campaign are currently available by clicking HERE.

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