Bulldogs fall to SFU in NEC Quarterfinal

LORETTO, Pa. – Senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) scored 13 points and freshman Michael Green III (Bronx, N.Y.) added 12, but a fast start from Saint Francis U proved too much to overcome for the Bryant University men's basketball team in an 87-61 defeat in Wednesday's Northeast Conference Quarterfinal.

The Red Flash opened the game on a 22-4 run and led by at least 11 the rest of the way to oust the Bulldogs from the NEC tournament for the third time in four years.

GAME INFORMATION  
Saint Francis U 87, Bryant 61
Records: Bryant (15-17), Saint Francis U (21-9)
Location: DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pa.)

KEY MOMENT 

• Saint Francis U started the game with a 22-4 run and led 32-10 midway through the first half.

HOW IT HAPPENED  

• The Red Flash jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the game's first 2:35 and held a 22-4 advantage with 14:11 remaining in the first half, prompting a Bulldog timeout.
• SFU extended the lead to 32-10 at the midway point of the first half.
• A pair of key threes from Green followed by one from junior Mikail Simmons (Murphy, Texas) helped turn the tide in a 9-2 Bryant run to get the Bulldogs back within 34-19 heading into the eight-minute media.
• A Grant three got Bryant back within 36-24 with 4:33 to play in the half and the Bulldogs trailed 45-31 at the half.
• Saint Francis shot 57.6% from the field in the opening half, while Bryant was at 48%.
• A pair of offensive rebounds and a layup from senior Juan Cardenas (Apartado, Colombia) on the first possession of the second half got Bryant back to 45-33, and after a Red Flash basket pushed the advantage to 52-37, the Bulldogs scored the next four to pull within 11.
• A flagrant foul helped Saint Francis extend its lead back to 15 at 56-41 and the Red Flash led 63-44 before a three and a jumper from Simmons, followed by a Grant three and two free throws from redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.), cut the deficit to 66-54 with 6:38 to play.
• Saint Francis responded with a 13-0 run to put the game away.

STATS  

• Grant scored 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting with two three-pointers, becoming the first player in Bryant's Division I history to make 100 threes in a season.
• Simmons added eight points, his most against an NEC opponent.
• Elisias grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Red Flash, 38-37.
• Elisias recorded two blocks to finish the season with a Division I program-record 78, shattering the previous record of 54 set 10 seasons ago.
• Cardenas added six points, six rebounds and two blocks.
• Bryant shot 33.3% for the game, while Saint Francis U was at 57.1%.
• The Bulldogs committed 11 of their 12 turnovers in the first half.

GAME NOTES  

• Bryant drops to 10-14 all-time against Saint Francis U.
• Grant finishes his storied career in Black & Gold with 1,837 points, good for second in Bryant's Division I history, and the program's D1 leader in starts, minutes and three-pointers.
• The 15 wins in 2019-20 rank fourth in a single season in Division I program history.
• The 2019-20 Bulldogs ranked first in D1 history in rebounds and blocks per game, second in steals per game and third in assists per game for a single season. Bryant was one made three-pointer shy of the most in a season in the D1 era.

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