Hawkins, Grant tally 20 each; Bryant comes back to beat UNH

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team erased a 14-point second-half deficit to battle back and defeat New Hampshire Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

Redshirt-senior Byron Hawkins (Fort Washington, Md.) and junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) scored 20 points each of the Bulldogs, while junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

GAME INFORMATION
Bryant 75, New Hampshire 65
Records: Bryant (2-5), New Hampshire (2-6)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

COACH GRASSO'S COMMENTS
"The urgency amped up [after halftime.] We've been fighting to get some consistency. Seeing the ball go through the net makes you play a little harder. We've really struggled shooting the ball this year, but it's something we're going to get through and start making shots. We get a lot of reps in, and we have better shooters than how they've shot.

We got a little confidence, started pressing a little more and tried to amp the pace of the game up, which we were able to do. The ball goes through the net, the crowd gets into the game, we gained some momentum and our guys made some plays." 

KEY MOMENTS

• Bryant used a 12-0 first-half run to turn an 18-12 deficit into a 24-18 advantage.
• New Hampshire closed the first half on a 21-5 run to take a 39-29 lead into the locker room.
• The Wildcats scored the first four points of the second half before an 11-0 Bryant run got the Bulldogs back within three at 43-40. Bryant would keep it within seven until taking the lead with 4:02 to go on a Hawkins three-pointer.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Grant scored Bryant's first six points to put Bryant ahead 6-5 with 17:01 remaining in the first half.
• New Hampshire led 18-12 before a 12-0 Bryant run fueled by seven points from freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) put the Bulldogs ahead 24-18 with 5:43 left in the half.
• The Wildcats ended the first half on a 21-5 run, going 7-for-10 from three in the opening 20 minutes.
• UNH scored the first four points of the second half before an 11-0 Bryant run cut the Wildcat lead to 43-40 with 16:15 to go in the half.
• Bryant would get within two on a layup from junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) with 8:42 remaining, cutting the UNH advantage to 52-50, and tie the game at 54 on a pair of Grant free throws with 5:58 on the clock.
• Bryant took the lead for good with 4:02 to go on a Hawkins three-pointer. The Bulldogs made three of their final four shots from beyond the arc, with the lone miss retrieved for an offensive rebound and a made three by Grant.

STATS

• Grant scored 20 points on 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-9 from three with three rebounds, three assists and four steals.
• Hawkins tallied 20 points on 6-of-19 overall and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc while adding four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Townes racked up 12 points and 10 rebounds with a pivotal made three-pointer to put Bryant up four with 2:38 to go.
• Freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) chipped in 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Cardenas collected three blocks to give him a team-high 10 for the year.
• Bryant shot 41.4 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from three. The Bulldogs held the Wildcats to 41.1 percent on the night, a season-best for the Black & Gold.
• The Bulldogs forced 16 Wildcat turnovers while committing 12.

GAME NOTES

• Hawkins was in double figures for the seventh time in as many games as a Bulldog and moved to within 34 of 1,000 for his collegiate career. His 20 points were his most in Black & Gold.
• Grant recorded his 17^th career game of 20 or more points and 48^th of 10 or more. The junior is within 40 points of 1,000 at Bryant.
• Townes was in double figures for the 25^th time in his career and recorded his second career double-double.
• Kasperzyk posted his fourth game of 10 or more points in his first seven collegiate contests.
• Redshirt-freshman Dren Dedushaj (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made his collegiate debut in the contest
• Both of Bryant's victories this year have come in games in which the Bulldogs trailed at the half.
• The victory was Bryant's first when trailing by 10 or more points in the second half since a Jan. 9, 2016 win over Mount St. Mary's.
• Bryant improves to 4-3 all-time against New Hampshire, snapping a three-game Wildcat winning streak in the series.

UP NEXT
Bryant travels to New York City for a Friday night game at Columbia. The 7 p.m. tip at Levien Gymnasium can be seen on ESPN+.

Season and single-game tickets for home games at the Chace Athletic Center are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX.

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