Green scores career-high 22, but Bulldogs fall to SHU

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Freshman Michael Green III (Bronx, N.Y.) scored a career-high 22 points, but a second-half comeback from Sacred Heart spoiled the Bryant University men's basketball team's bid for a road win as the Bulldogs fell, 74-65, Thursday evening at the Pitt Center.

Sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) added eight points and 15 rebounds playing in his hometown, while senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) chipped in with 10 points. Redshirt-junior Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) notched three steals to move past Grant as Bryant's Division I career leader in steals with 135.

GAME INFORMATION 
Sacred Heart 74, Bryant 65
Records: Bryant (12-13, 4-8 NEC), Sacred Heart (15-11, 8-5 NEC)
Location: Pitt Center (Fairfield, Conn.)

KEY MOMENTS 

• Bryant closed the half on a 12-0 run, with a Harding tip-in at the buzzer giving the Bulldogs a 37-29 lead at the break.
• Sacred Heart used a 15-2 stretch to take a seven-point lead with four minutes remaining.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

•  Bryant led 10-9 before a 9-0 Sacred Heart run gave the Pioneers an 18-10 advantage with 10:05 to play in the opening half.
• A three from Green and layup from freshman Benson Lin (New Taipei City, Taiwan) got Bryant back within one at 22-21 with 5:51 to play in the half.
• A 12-0 run to end the half, capped off by threes from Green and Grant and a Harding tip-in at the buzzer, gave the Bulldogs a 37-29 lead heading into the locker room.
• A basket from Grant pushed the lead to 12, and after the Pioneers cut the margin to seven on a pair of occasions, got back within four with a 7-0 run to trail Bryant 47-43 with 14:10 to go.
• Junior Mikail Simmons (Murphy, Texas) drained a three to get the Bryant lead back to six at 51-45 with 9:52 to play.
• The Pioneers retook the lead at 55-53 with 7:38 remaining and, after a Green shot to re-tie the game, moved back in front at the free-throw line and led the rest of the way.
• The final nine-point cushion was Sacred Heart's largest of the contest.

STATS 

• Green was 8-for-15 from the floor and knocked down a pair of threes.
• Harding grabbed 14 of his 15 rebounds at the defensive end and has corralled 32.1% of potential opportunities this season, ranking third nationally.
• Ndugba collected six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
• Lin added eight points with seven recorded in the first half.
• Bryant was held to 5-of-18 from three and 37.1% from the field. The Bulldogs outshot the Pioneers, who recorded a 35.4% mark in the contest.
• Sacred Heart held a 48-46 advantage in rebounding.

GAME NOTES 

• Redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.) swatted three shots in the contest to move to second on Bryant's Division I career list with 64, passing Papa Lo.
• Ndugba moved up to eighth on Bryant's Division I rebounding chart with 376, moving past Vlad Kondratyev.
• Bryant drops to 6-18 against Sacred Heart in the Bulldogs' Division I era and 14-26 all-time.

UP NEXT 
Bryant wraps up its Connecticut weekend when the Bulldogs face Central Connecticut Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in New Britain on NEC Front Row.

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