Bryant closes out homestand Saturday vs. FDU
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University men's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to three Saturday when the Bulldogs host Fairleigh Dickinson at the Chace Athletic Center.
The Particulars
Opponent: Fairleigh Dickinson
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Saturday, Jan. 26 – 4 p.m.
Tickets: Saturday
Watch: NEC Front Row (Jon Wallach, Chris Burns)
Listen: WOON AM 1240 & 99.3 FM (Jon Wallach, Chris Burns)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #NECMBB
PROMOTIONS
NEC Kids Day
All kids in sixth grade and under will receive free admission to Saturday's game. The first 150 kids in attendance will receive an #ALLINBALLOUT drawstring bag and autograph book to fill with autographs from the team after the game. Get your tickets HERE.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson is 8-11 overall and has won back-to-back games to improve to 3-4 in the NEC. The Knights are 1-6 in contests decided by seven points or less with the first victory coming Thursday against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Darnell Edge leads FDU with 15.8 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent from three. The Knights are the top team in the NEC in field goal (46.9) and three-point percentage (36.5).
THE SERIES
Bryant is 8-9 all-time against Fairleigh Dickinson and 4-5 in nine meetings in Smithfield since Bryant made the leap to Division I in 2008-09.
The Knights took both matchups last season, including an 87-83 victory over the Bulldogs in the season finale that included a Division I program-record eight steals from Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.).
LAST TIME OUT: BRYANT 63, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT 60
Junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 7.4 seconds remaining and junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) came up with the block at the other end as Bryant won its second straight game Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center.
NOT BASHFUL FROM BEYOND THE ARC
Junior SaBastian Townes is 16-for-38 (42.1) from three this year including game-winners against Dartmouth and Central Connecticut. Townes made a combined four three-pointers in his first two seasons.
THE DEFENSE DOES NOT REST
The Black & Gold have held six of their last nine opponents - Dartmouth, Iowa, St. Francis Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Saint Francis U and Central Connecticut - to 72 points or less. Bryant has gone 5-1 in those six games.
HALF & HALF
Five of Bryant's seven wins - Saint Peter's, New Hampshire, Dartmouth, Saint Francis U and Central Connecticut - have been in games in which the Bulldogs trailed at halftime.
THAT'S GONNA BE A NO FROM THIS DAWG
Junior Juan Cardenas leads Bryant with 28 blocks on the year, good for second in the NEC. In just his 12th game, Cardenas rose to the top 10 in Bryant's Division I era in career blocks.
ORDERING A LIFT
Freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) has played some of his best basketball in the nine games in which he has come off the bench, averaging 14.6 points per game. Kasperzyk scored a career-high 21 points at Mount St. Mary's and matched that total at Sacred Heart.
FRESHMAN GLASS
Freshman Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) ranks second among NEC freshmen with 5.6 rebounds per game this season. Harding has collected six or more boards 10 times this season.
UP NEXT: WAGNER
Bryant plays five of its next six games on the road, beginning Thursday night at Wagner. The 7 p.m. contest on Staten Island can be seen on ESPN+.
Tickets for home games at the Chace Athletic Center are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX.
Follow Bryant University men's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to get an inside look at the program.