MEN'S BASKETBALL FALLS TO BROWN 70-68 IN HOME OPENER

November 25, 2009

BROWN DEFEATS BRYANT 70-68 IN MEN'S BASKETBALL ACTION SATURDAY

box score /  highlight of the night - BryantTV productions

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Garrett Leffelman's put-back with 0.3 seconds remaining helped lift visiting Brown University to a 70-68 non-conference win over Bryant University here Wednesday.   

Nick Pontes scored with 39.7 seconds left and hit the ensuing free throw to tie the game at 58-58 Saturday in the Bulldogs' home opener against Brown.  WATCH THE PLAY.

After Bryant rallied to tie the game after a basket and free throw from senior Nick Pontes (New Bedford, Mass.) with 40 seconds left, Brown worked the ball to sharpshooter Peter Sullivan (Wilmette, Ill.), but his shot from 14 feet rimmed out.  Matt Mullery's  (Millstone, NJ) putback also came up short but Leffelman grabbed the offensive board and scored on the put-back plus drawing the fifth foul on Bryant's Clay McMath (Adelaide, Australia) with under a second to go. 

For Leffelman, it was the junior's only field goal of the game but it couldn't have come at a better time for the Bears who trailed for the entire first half.  Bryant (0-5) used an aggressive defense and strong shooting to race out in front early.  The Bulldogs, playing in their second season of Division I, enjoyed leads of 11-2, 19-5, and 29-19 following a three from Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) and layup by Barry Latham (Taunton, Mass.) with just under four minutes to go before halftime.

Bryant shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half and took a 38-28 lead into the locker room at the break.  

But in the second half, Brown came out strong.  A 3-pointer from Peter Sullivan and offensive rebound and basket by Mullery trimmed the Bryant lead down to three, 42-39.  Gresham, team-high 16 points, answered with a three-pointer of his to help push the Bulldogs back in front 49-44.  But three by Matt Sullivan (Wilmette, Ill.) followed by basket and free throw tied the game at 52-52 with 11:32 remaining.

Peter Sullivan would give Brown its first lead of the afternoon with a 3-pointer at 10:43 but Bryant's Chris Birrell (Scituate, R.I.) would answer with a long-range three of his own. 

Brown led by as much as 67-59 with 4:36 to go but the Bulldogs continued to chip away as a basket by Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) and four free throws by Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, NY) had the Bulldogs back within three with 1:30 left.

Brown would fail to get a shot off in time before the shot clock expired and the Bulldogs would answer as Pontes scored on a follow-up on a Parzych drive and was fouled on the play with 40 seconds left.  Pontes would hit the free throw to tie the game, but Brown cashed in on Leffelman's put-back in the final seconds. 

Bryant finished the game shooting 46.3 percent from the floor with  Latham scoring 14 points and both Pontes and Jordan each adding 13.  Bryant out-rebounded the Bears, who were led by Mullery's game-high 21 points, 39-32.  Peter Sullivan had 17 on 5 of 10 shooting from the floor while Matt Sullivan finished with 12.  Brown made 8-of-23 from 3-point range and made 18 of 29 free throws.

Bryant will return to action Monday when the Bulldogs travel to West Point to take on Army at 7 pm.  Brown will travel to Philadelphia Friday to face University of the Sciences at The Palestra as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic.