Bulldogs outlasted by Columbia Friday night

NEW YORK – Junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) and redshirt-senior Byron Hawkins (Fort Washington, Md.) put up season-high scoring efforts, but the Bryant University men's basketball team was defeated on the road by Columbia, 90-68, Friday night at Levien Gymnasium.

Grant scored 23 points and Hawkins added 22 for the Bulldogs, who made 10 first-half three-pointers in the defeat.

GAME INFORMATION
Columbia 90, Bryant 68
Records: Bryant (2-6), Columbia (2-6)
Location: Levien Gymnasium (New York, N.Y.)

COACH GRASSO'S COMMENTS
"We're a work in progress, honestly. We're playing without a point guard right now, so we're point-guard-by-committee and trying to figure ourselves out. We finished the first half well, sharing the ball, and Adam Grant got it going. Columbia did a better job guarding him in the second half and we struggled to make shots. Credit to them, their guys stepped up and made shots." 

KEY MOMENTS

• Columbia made 12 of its first 17 shots and five of seven threes to lead 29-17 midway through the first half.
• Bryant took its first lead 33 seconds into the second half, but Columbia responded with a 9-0 run to go ahead 52-44 with 16:24 to play.
• The Lions outscored the Bulldogs 26-9 over the final 10 minutes of the game to turn a five-point advantage into the 22-point final margin.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Columbia made 12 of its first 17 shots to lead 29-17 at the midway point of the first half.
• Grant scored 14 straight Bryant points before a Hawkins three cut the deficit to 37-31 at the final media timeout of the opening half.
• Hawkins knocked down a pair of free throws in the final second of the first half to send Bryant to the locker room within 43-42.
• A jumper from junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) out of the break gave Bryant its first lead of the night at 44-43. Columbia would answer with the next nine to go ahead 52-44 and force a Bulldog timeout with 16:24 to go.
• The Lions would push their lead to 15 at 78-63 with 5:03 to play and outscore the Bulldogs 26-9 over the final 10 minutes of the contest.

STATS

• Grant was 8-of-19 from the field and 6-of-14 from three for a season-high 23 points.
• Hawkins tallied three trifectas and grabbed five rebounds for a season-best 22 points.
• Townes scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
• Junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) collected two blocks and has 12 for the year.
• Bryant shot 38.3 percent from the floor, while Columbia shot 58.6 percent.
• The Lions outrebounded the Bulldogs, 34-30.

GAME NOTES

• Grant was in double figures in scoring for the seventh time this season and 49^th in his career. The scoring output was his fourth 20-point game of the year and 18^th as a Bulldog.
• Hawkins had his first 20-point game at Bryant and eighth double-figure effort in as many games as a Bulldog.
• Hawkins moved to within 12 points of 1,000 for his collegiate career, while Grant pulled to within 17 of 1,000 in Black & Gold.
• The Bulldogs' 13 made three-pointers matched the season-high set Nov. 14 vs. Saint Peter's.
• Bryant drops to 0-4 all-time against Columbia.

UP NEXT
Bryant returns home to host Hartford Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.

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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