BULLDOGS PUT UP FIGHT AGAINST PIONEERS, FALL 72-60 THURSDAY NIGHT AT HOME
January 14, 2010
BULLDOGS PUT UP FIGHT AGAINST PIONEERS, FALL 72-60 THURSDAY NIGHT AT HOME
SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- After falling behind by as many as 18 points early in the second half, the Bryant University men's basketball team pulled to within five but couldn't complete the comeback as Sacred Heart defeated the Bulldogs, 72-64, on Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center.
The Bulldogs (0-17, 0-5 Northeast Conference) were led offensively by senior Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), who poured in a season-high 16 points and had a career-high seven assists while playing a career-best 37 minutes. It was the third consecutive double-digit night for the senior captain. Freshman Vlad Kondratyev (Nikolayev, Ukraine) was 4-for-6 from the floor for a total of nine points.
The Pioneers are off to their best start at the DI level as they improved to 10-6 on the season and 3-2 in the NEC, and had four players in double figures at the final whistle, including Ryan Litke with a game-high 17 points. Litke also recorded five steals in the win. Jerrell Thompson and Corey Hassan each scored 13 points while Liam Potter added 11 of his own.
Bryant outshot Sacred Heart, 51.1 percent to 45.8 percent in the game, but was outshot 40 percent to 36.8 percent from long range. Thursday's game also marked the first time this season the Bulldogs have shot above 50 percent for the game, despite the loss.
Both Bryant and Sacred Heart shot an even 50 percent from the field in the first half as the Pioneers took a 37-30 lead into the locker room after one period of play. With a 3-point bucket from point guard Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) just 2:02 into the game, Bryant took the early 10-8 lead over the visiting Pioneers. At the halfway point in the first frame, Bryant was shooting 57.1 percent from deep, but cooled down over the last 10 minutes to end the frame at a 40 percent clip from downtown.
With 5:05 remaining in the first and Bryant down eight points, 30-22, junior walk-on Michael Chroney (Nashua, N.H.) provided a spark for the Bulldogs in one of the most electrifying plays of the 2009-10 season. Chroney and Parzych were running the floor in a 2-on-1 situation when Parzych sent an arching pass upcourt to the speedy forward. Chroney, standing at just 6-foot-2, caught the pass, took one step and elevated up and over the 6-foot-9 Mehmet Sahan for a huge and-one dunk. Chroney, unable to convert on the three-point play, made up for it with a layup on the next possession to bring Bryant back to within four, 30-26.
But out of the hafltime break, the Pioneers got off to a hot start, opening the second stanza with a 16-5 run to take a 53-35 lead over the home side with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game. The Bulldogs committed five turnovers during the Sacred Heart run.
Sparked by a Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) layup with 13:33 to play, the Bulldogs returned the favor, outscoring the Pioneers, 15-4, over the next 7:28 to bring the score to 57-52 with 6:51 left on the clock. Bryant countered its turnover miscues on the run, forcing five from Sacred Heart over the span. Kondratyev added six points in the Bulldog run before fouling out with 5:11 remaining, but that would be the closest the Bulldogs got to completing the comeback. With 1:43 remaining, Sacred Heart's Jerrell Thompson iced the game with a long-distance three to put the Pioneers up by 10 points, 64-54, en route to the eventual 72-60 victory.
The Bulldogs will host Quinnipiac on Saturday, January 16 at 3:30 p.m. in the back end of a Bryant basketball doubleheader at the Chace Athletic Center.