Bryant back in action Saturday at the Chace
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University men's basketball team wraps up a three-game homestand to open its NEC schedule when Mount St. Mary's visits Smithfield Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs enter Saturday at 1-1 in the NEC and looking for their 10th victory overall on the year, which would match last year's win total.
The Particulars
Opponent: Mount St. Mary's
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Saturday, Jan. 11 – 4 p.m.
Tickets: Saturday (Holiday Hoops Promo)
Watch: NEC Front Row (Jon Wallach, Frankie Dobbs)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #NECMBB
THE PARTICULARS
The Bryant University men's basketball team wraps up a three-game homestand to open its NEC schedule when Mount St. Mary's visits Smithfield Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs enter Saturday at 1-1 in the NEC and looking for their 10th victory overall on the year, which would match last year's win total.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Mount St. Mary's is 5-11 on the year and 1-2 in the NEC after a narrow 64-61 defeat at Merrimack Thursday. Four Mountaineers were in double figures, led by 19 points from Malik Jefferson and a double-double from Nana Opoku. The Mount's NEC win came in double overtime against Long Island Jan. 4.
Four Mountaineers are averaging 10+ points per game this season, led by 11.8 from sophomore Damian Chong Qui. Malik Jefferson has added 10.3 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game. The Mount's 10.2 assists per game as a team rank 10th in the NEC.
THE SERIES
The Mountaineers hold an 11-9 advantage in the Division I series (the teams played two Division II contests in the 1980s, including one at the then-Providence Civic Center.) Bryant has won three straight in the series - the Bulldogs' longest winning streak against any NEC opponent.
Bryant swept the season series in 2018-19 with a 66-59 victory in Emmitsburg and 81-58 triumph on Senior Day at the Chace that was powered by a 22-0 run in the first half.
LAST TIME OUT: FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 77, BRYANT 73
Bryant erased a 13-point deficit to lead by six in the second half, but Fairleigh Dickinson stymied the Bulldogs down the stretch to leave Smithfield with a victory over the Black & Gold last Saturday. Senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) scored 28 points in the defeat.
MR. NICE WATCH
Grant was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List Thursday. Grant ranks second in the NEC and 34th nationally as of Friday at 19.7 points per game, has made 56 three-pointers on the year (good for 10th nationally), and has collected 20 or more points 10 times this season including both NEC contests and games against Big Ten members Rutgers and Maryland. The Lou Henson Award is given to the nation's top mid-major player.
HAPPY HALL DAYS
Redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.) leads the NEC in blocks per game (2.9) and ranks 14th in rebounding (5.8). Elisias has recorded four of Bryant's top six single-game block totals in his first 15 games as a Bulldog with eight vs. Navy and six against Rutgers, Columbia and Dartmouth.
Elisias has blocked 16.9% of opponents' two-point attempts while on the floor this season, which ranks third in the nation.
The 43 total blocks for Elisias this year rank tied for fourth in a single season in Bryant's Division I era, sixth in D1 career history, and 14th nationally.
ROOM FOR BOARDS
Sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) hauled in nine rebounds Saturday vs. Fairleigh Dickinson to surpass the 300 mark for his career. Harding is the third-fastest to 300 career rebounds in Bryant's Division I era.
Harding is averaging 9.6 rebounds per game in 2019-20 and ranks second in the NEC and 35th in the nation in rebounding average. He has collected 30.8% of potential defensive rebounds while on the floor this season, good for eighth nationally.
THREES FRAME
Last Saturday's game vs. Fairleigh Dickinson marked the fourth time that Grant has made seven or more threes in a game in his time in Black & Gold and second in three games. Grant, who knocked down seven shots from beyond the arc Dec. 29 at No. 13 Maryland, made eight in a triple-overtime game against Sacred Heart as a freshman and a program-record nine in 2018 at Mount St. Mary's.
BENSON BUCKETS
Freshman Benson Lin (New Taipei City, Taiwan) is averaging 12.0 points per game since the start of December - a stretch in which Bryant is 5-2. The Bulldogs are 7-0 this season when Lin scores at least 10 points.
DEFENSIVE-MINDED DAWGS
Bryant's defensive efficiency (100.4) leads the NEC and ranks 166th nationally in 2019-20 after placing last in the conference and in the bottom 10 nationally in each of the last two seasons.
The Bulldogs are 8-0 this season when holding opponents under 70 points. Bryant is 18-2 during Coach Grasso's tenure when limiting teams to 69 points or less.
Bryant leads the NEC and ranks 35th nationally in blocks per game (4.9), while ranking second in the league and placing 50th nationally in steals per game (8.3).
UP NEXT: MERRIMACK
Bryant will renew acquaintances with former Northeast-10 foe and NEC newcomer Merrimack Wednesday in North Andover, Massachusetts. The 7 p.m. tip can be seen on NEC Front Row.
Bryant Men's Basketball tickets are available by clicking HERE.
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