ROBERT MORRIS RALLIES LATE TO PULL OUT WIN OVER BULLDOGS
February 13, 2010
CONFERENCE LEADER ROBERT MORRIS PULLS AWAY FOR 52-42 WIN OVER BRYANT SATURDAY
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| Freshman Vlad Kondratyev scored 15 points on 6 of 11 shooting against Robert Morris Saturday. www.dspics.com |
SMITHFIELD, R.I - Bryant freshman Vlad Kondratyev (Nikolayev, Ukraine) scored 15 points and freshman guard Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.) came off the bench to add 11 as the Bryant University basketball team let a second-half lead slip away in falling to Robert Morris 52-42 Saturday in Northeast Conference action.
Bryant (0-26, 0-14) held Robert Morris to 34.8 percent shooting in the game as the Colonials equaled their lowest offensive output of the season, but the first-place Colonials took advantage of ice-cold shooting by the Bulldogs in the final 10 minutes to earn the come-from-behind win.
Tied 25-25 at the half, Kondratyev got the second half started on the right foot for the Bulldogs, scoring on a layup while drawing a foul on RMU's Rob Robinson. Fellow freshman Clay McMath (Adelaide, Australia) answered with a basket of his own on a nice move inside to put the Bulldogs up quickly, 30-25.
A Jordan three-point bucket and a pretty McMath follow-up of a missed three-point attempt by Kondratyev, gave the Bulldogs a 39-35 lead with 10:12 remaining.
Robert Morris would storm right back as Karon Abraham hit two free throws to tie it at 39-39 and Dallas Green added a tip-in following a miss to give the Colonials their first lead of the second half, 41-39 with 4:37 left.
Since McMath's put-back, the Bulldogs would manage just one field goal, a three by Adam Parzych (Lindenhurst, NY) in the final 10 minutes as Robert Morris closed out the game with out-scoring Bryant, 17-3.
Kondratyev had a big game for the Bulldogs, scoring on several power moves in the paint and adding a beautiful turnaround floater from just beyond the free throw line early in the second half to give Bryant a four-point advantage. He would finish the game shooting 6-for-11 from the floor and grabbed three rebounds. Jordan was 2-for-3 from three-point range and dished out four assists and added three steals.
Robinson had 12 points to lead the Colonials who were 19 for 29 from the free throw line for the game.
Bryant will travel to Staten Island this Thursday to face Wagner College at 7 p.m.