Bulldogs downed by LIU in back-and-forth battle Saturday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Five Bulldogs were in double figures in scoring, but the Bryant University men's basketball team was tripped up in the closing minutes by LIU Brooklyn Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.

Junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs, while junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) added 15, moving him to fourth in Bryant's Division I era in scoring.

GAME INFORMATION
LIU Brooklyn 79, Bryant 70
Records: Bryant (4-9, 1-1), LIU Brooklyn (7-7, 1-1)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

COACH GRASSO'S COMMENTS
"They made some shots, we made a couple turnovers, we missed a couple shots, they went on a run. They made plays down the stretch that we didn't make. We're a step closer. I thought my kids played hard – they fought and competed. We had them on their heels a bit and they made plays down the stretch that we didn't make. We've got to get to work and get better.

"We'll see them another time. Hopefully two more times. We'll lace 'em up and be ready to go."

KEY MOMENTS

• Bryant erased a 10-0 deficit with a 16-5 run that included a pair of three-pointers from junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia).
• A pair of LIU three-pointers turned a 64-63 Blackbird lead into a 70-65 advantage with under three minutes remaining.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• LIU opened the game on a 10-0 run over the first 3:07 of the contest.
• Bryant responded with a 16-5 run, bookended by a pair of Cardenas three-pointers, to take a 16-15 advantage with 10:03 to go in the half.
• The Blackbirds led 33-31 at the half, scoring the final four points before the break.
• Neither team led by more than four points for the first 17 minutes of the second half before a three-pointer put LIU ahead 70-65 with 2:53 to go.
• A pair of Townes free throws kept the Bulldogs within five at 72-67 with 1:13 to play, but it was the closest Bryant would come to narrowing the gap.

STATS

• Townes scored 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 5-of-7 from the line while sinking his 10^th three-pointer of the year.
• Grant was 6-for-6 from the free throw line to bolster his 15-point performance and collected two steals.
• Redshirt-senior Byron Hawkins (Fort Washington, Md.) added 14 points and seven rebounds.
• Freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) chipped in 13 points.
• Cardenas scored 10 points and tallied a career-best four blocks.

GAME NOTES

• Grant moved to fourth in Bryant's Division I era in scoring with 1,054 career points, passing Corey Maynard.
• Cardenas moved to a tie for 10^th in Bryant's D1 history in career blocks with 21.
• Saturday's attendance of 1,184 was Bryant's largest in a regular season game since Feb. 5, 2015 vs. Mount St. Mary's.
• Bryant falls to 6-13 all-time against LIU Brooklyn.

UP NEXT
Bryant hits the road for the first time in NEC play when the Bulldogs travel to Mount St. Mary's Thursday. The 7 p.m. tip in Emmitsburg, Maryland, can be seen on NEC Front Row.

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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