BRYANT FALLS TO CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT HOME, 60-34, THURSDAY NIGHT
February 4, 2010
BRYANT FALLS TO CENTRAL CONNECTICUT AT HOME, 60-34, THURSDAY NIGHT
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Joe Seymore scored a game-high 19 points while Markeys Deans added 12 points to go with seven rebounds as Central Connecticut State University handed Bryant University a 60-34 defeat in Northeast Conference action Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center.
Bryant (0-23, 0-11 NEC) raced out to a quick 8-3 lead on the visiting Blue Devils, thanks in part to the play of sophomore Papa Lo (Thies, Senegal) defensively in the paint. Lo, who blocked six shots against CCSU as a freshman at UMass, led the Bulldogs in their strong start, stuffing the Blue Devils with six rejections in the first half - five of them coming in the first four minutes of the contest - en route to a seven-block game. His game-high seven blocks are good to knot him for fifth in the single-game all-time blocks list.
But it would be all Blue Devils (8-14, 5-6) from there as Seymore drained a deep three from the right side and CCSU put the game away early with a 24-3 run over the next six minutes to gain a 27-11 lead with 8:45 left to go in the first half.
Seymore and Vince Rosario combined to make six 3-point field goals during the run. A layup by Lo and a free throw moments later made it 29-14, but Seymore was there once again with another long lefty three to give the Blue Devils their largest lead of the night, 32-14.
Bryant shot just under 24 percent from the floor as the Bulldogs were held to their lowest point total of the season. Lo led Bryant with a career-best seven points and tied his career high with a game-best eight rebounds in 28 minutes of action. Senior guard Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and rookie Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) each had six points.
"We had a very difficult time scoring tonight," said head coach Tim O'Shea. "We can't afford to miss the number of shots we did in and around the basket.
"We've got some pieces," added O'Shea, "we just don't have all the parts right now."
Central Connecticut shot 41.7 percent from the floor in the game and outrebounded Bryant, 44-28. Rosario had 10 points as the Blue Devils made just one three in the second half after converting 8-of-12 from long range in the first.
Bryant and CCSU will meet again this Saturday in New Britain, Conn. at 3:30 p.m.