Sacred Heart visits the Chace on Valentine's Day
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University men's basketball team returns home for the first time since Jan. 26 when the Bulldogs host Sacred Heart in a Valentine's Day contest at the Chace Athletic Center.
The Particulars
Opponent: Sacred Heart
Location: Chace Athletic Center – Smithfield, R.I.
Date and Time: Thursday, Feb. 14 – 7 p.m.
Tickets: Thursday
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
Dollar Dog Night Presented by Sodexo
Hot dogs will be $1 all game long at the Chace Athletic Center concession stand.
Donuts for Students
The first 150 students in attendance at the Valentine's Day game against Sacred Heart will be treated to a donut from Bryant Athletics and Dunkin Donuts.
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart is 11-14 on the year and 7-5 in the NEC, tied with Fairleigh Dickinson for third in the conference standings. The Pioneers are 2-11 on the road this season with victories over Lafayette and Mount St. Mary's.
Sean Hoehn ranks third in the NEC at 17.4 points per game. The Pioneers feature two of the top three rebounders in the league in EJ Anosike and Jare'l Spellman, who each average 7.8 per contest. Spellman is the conference's leading shot blocker (2.9), while Cameron Parker paces the NEC in assists (6.9). Sacred Heart is first in the NEC in scoring at 79.3 points per game and last in scoring defense at 77.9.
THE SERIES
Bryant is 6-16 vs. Sacred Heart in the Bulldogs' Division I era and 14-24 dating back to the programs' days as D2 members. The Pioneers have won six of the last seven meetings.
Sacred Heart took a 98-70 decision in Fairfield in January in the first matchup of the season. Freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) matched his career-high with 21 points and freshman Nino Hernandez (Gardner, Mass.) added a career-best 14.
LAST TIME OUT: SAINT FRANCIS U 84, BRYANT 75
The Bulldogs erased a 14-point second-half deficit to take a four-point lead, but the Red Flash used a 9-0 run to regain control late and close out a back-and-forth battle in Loretto. Junior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) led the way with 21 points, while junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) added 19.
FROM HAMPTON ROADS TO RHODE ISLAND
Junior duo SaBastian Townes and Adam Grant have led the Bulldog offense this year with Townes scoring a team-high 14.7 points per game and Grant adding 14.2. Townes and Grant, who have played organized basketball together since they were 11 years old, have combined for 11 20-point games this season.
ADAM ADDING TO CAREER NUMBERS
Junior Adam Grant climbed to third on Bryant's Division I career scoring list against Saint Francis U. Grant has scored 1,176 points in his time in Black & Gold and surpassed Frankie Dobbs, who scored 1,172 in three seasons, Saturday in Loretto.
Only Alex Francis (2,085) and Dyami Starks (1,691) have scored more points than Grant in a Bryant uniform at the Division I level.
FRESHMAN GLASS
Freshman Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) leads all freshmen nationally in KenPom's defensive rebounding percentage. Harding has grabbed 28.3 percent of available defensive rebounds when on the floor, which ranks 19th in the nation.
UP NEXT: FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Bryant heads back on the road for a Saturday contest in the Garden State against Fairleigh Dickinson. The 4:30 p.m. tip between the Bulldogs and Knights can be seen on NEC Front Row.
Tickets for home games at the Chace Athletic Center are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX.
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