BULLDOGS LOOK FOR BACK-TO-BACK WINS TO CLOSE OUT 2010 FRIDAY AT BROWN (12:05 P.M.)

Game Notes

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team looks for back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2008-09 season when the Bulldogs travel to intrastate rival Brown University on New Year's Eve for a 12:05 p.m. tipoff from the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence, R.I. Friday's game will be broadcast live locally on WOON 1240AM and online at www.bryantbulldogs.com.

THE SERIES
The Bulldogs and the Bears have met nine times in the history of the two programs, dating back to the 1986-87 season, with Brown coming out on top each time to boast a 9-0 series edge. The teams have met each season since Bryant joined the Division I ranks and last bumped heads on November 25, 2009 at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I., a game the visiting Bears won, 70-68. Four Bulldogs scored double-digits in the outing, including a double-double from then-senior Nick Pontes. Bryant tied the score as late as 40 seconds left, but couldn't secure the victory in front of the home crowd as Brown scored the winning basket with one second to play in regulation. Only current seniors Cecil Gresham and Barry Latham have taken on the Brown side more than once, and the former averages 14.5 points per game against the Bears. Latham scored 14 points while going 6-for-9 from the field in last year's contest.

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Captain Peter Sullivan leads Brown in two major categories with 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and is one of two Bears to have started every contest (Sean McGonagill). Garrett Leffelman also chips in double-figure scoring with 10.5 points per outing, while McGonagill's 42 assists a team best and compliment 9.6 points per contest from the floor. Matt Sullivan's 19-for-33 clip (.576) paces the Bear side from the field, while Tucker Halpern and Adrian Williams have dropped in 14 shots from the perimeter. As a team, Brown shoots 43.5 percent from the floor and 33.2 percent from long range and averages 65.9 points per game. The Bears have lost three-straight and five of the last six entering Friday's matchup.

BRYANT vs. THE IVY LEAGUE
Bryant is 1-11 against the Ancient Eight in its short Division I history, having matched up against Columbia (0-3), Brown (0-2), Cornell (0-2), Harvard (0-2) and Yale (1-2) over the last three seasons. In the history of the program, the Bulldogs are just 1-17 against Ivy League opponents, most frequently matching up with intrastate rival Brown (0-9). Bryant earned its lone win over the conference on January 2, 2009 with a 69-58 topping of Yale at the Chace Athletic Center. Bryant has already taken on the Ivy League three times this season, suffering losses to Harvard (69-66) and Yale (75-53) at home and Columbia (76-72) on the road. For his career, senior Cecil Gresham leads the Bryant ranks against Ancient Eight foes, averaging 13.6 points per game in nine contests. He is one of three averaging double-digits over three games against the Ivy League this season (Gresham — 14.7, Frankie Dobbs — 14.0, Alex Francis — 11.7).

LAST TIME OUT
Bryant freshman Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a career-high 23 points and classmate Matthew Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) chipped in 14 to help lead the Bulldogs to a 71-42 non-conference victory over Oberlin College Wednesday evening at the Chace Athletic Center.

Bryant withstood a hot start by the visitors from Ohio, as the Yeomen led by as many as seven early. But thanks in part to a suffocating defense and the play of Francis on the offensive end, the Bulldogs quickly regained the lead midway through the first half following a basket and free throw by Francis that put the Bulldogs up, 22-20, with 4:57 left. The freshman tied his career high in the first half alone with 19 opening-frame points.

The Bulldogs would close out the half on a 15-3 run to take a 34-23 lead into the locker room at the break.

But in the second session, the Bulldogs would put the visitors away early, as Daniel Calandrillo (Leonardo, N.J.) drained a long three and minutes later Lee knocked down a trey of his own after a nice feed from Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) to make it 45-25.

The Bulldogs shot 42.1 percent from the floor and made nine 3-point field goals in the game. Calandrillo would finish with eight points and career-high four assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action. Dobbs had six of Bryant's 17 assists in the contest.

Oberlin was led by Andrew Fox's team-high 13 points and five rebounds, while Charlie Crawford-Silva had eight.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs jump back into Northeast Conference action for the remainder of the season starting with a 7 p.m. road matchup against Monmouth on January 3.

IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY
Bryant's sophomore point guard Frankie Dobbs has family ties to Brown University basketball. His father, Frank "Happy" Dobbs served as the Bears' head coach from 1991-1999 amassing 67 wins, his best season coming in 1994-95 when Brown finished fourth in the Ivy League.

ALEX THE GREAT
Top rookie Alex Francis set a new career mark Wednesday at home against Oberlin College, putting up 23 points in 25 minutes. The forward tied his previous career-best in the first half alone, scoring 19 points in 15 minutes. Francis would go 8-of-11 from the floor, while his 23 points were the second-most of any Bulldog this season. He also pulled down a game-high seven rebounds in the performance. The frosh has emerged as one of the Northeast Conference's top freshmen throughout the first half of the 2010-11 campaign and now leads the team in scoring with 13.9 points per game, good for 11th in the Northeast Conference. The frosh bigman has the Bulldogs' six highest single-game rebounding marks on the 2010-11 season and is fourth in the league in rebounding, where he paces the NEC's entire freshman class with 7.7 boards per contest.

OH DANNY BOY
Sophomore walk-on Dan Calandrillo had a career day Wednesday night against Oberlin, set new career highs in points (8), minutes (20), assists (4), steals (2), field goals made (3) and attempted (7), and 3-point field goals made (2) and attempted (4), while tying his personal-best marks in blocks and rebounds.

HOME SWEET HOME
Wednesday night's 71-42 win over Oberlin College was the Bulldogs' first home victory of the 2010-11 season and the first win at the Chace Athletic Center since January 17, 2009 (70-46 vs. NJIT).

GLASS GUZZLERS
The Bulldogs have outrebounded their opponents just five times this season, but have done so in each of their last three games. Last time out, Bryant ruled the boards against Oberlin College at home, topping the Yeomen on the glass, 39-31. Against the University of Michigan on Dec. 23, Bryant edged the Wolverines, 33-32, on the boards just days after outrebounding Boston College by the greatest margin of the year, 35-23, at Conte Forum. The 12-rebound margin against the Eagles came thanks to 22 second-frame boards after taking a 13-10 halftime edge. Alex Francis has collected game highs in each of the last four contests and has led the team on the glass nine times this season.