FRANCIS SCORES 21 IN 84-71 LOSS AT BROWN FRIDAY

PROVIDENCE – Forward Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds but it was not enough to overcome a strong shooting performance by Brown University, as the Bears pulled away for a 84-71 non-conference victory Friday afternoon at the Pizzitola Center.

For Francis, it was his third double-double of the season as the freshman finished 6-for-13 from the floor and sank nine free throws. Teammate Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio) added 16 points and six assists in 38 minutes of action.

But the story of the game was the red-hot shooting by Brown (5-6), as the Bears made 14-of-35 3-point field goals, including five from sophomore Tucker Halpern. Halpern, a 6-foot-8 forward, scored 10 of the Bears' first 12 points as the home side led quickly, 12-3, out of the gate. Halpern would finish with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and a blistering 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Bryant (2-11) struggled on the offensive end in the early goings, as the Bulldogs missed 10 of their first 11 shots from the floor, but after a timeout, the visitors settled down and started to chip away at Brown's lead.

A runner in the paint by Daniel Calandrillo (Leonardo, N.J.) helped kick start an 8-0 spurt by the Bulldogs to pull to within one, 12-11, with 12:15 left in the half. A long jumper at the top of the key by Francis and a fast-break basket by Lee helped key the run by the Bulldogs.

But Bears quickly answered the Bryant run with some long-range accuracy, as Halpern and Adrian Williams canned back-to-back 3-pointers and Brown pushed the lead to 20-11. 

Bryant's Matthew Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) (11 points) would drain a 3-pointer of his own to help stem the Brown run, but the pause was only brief, as Peter Sullivan and Williams drained two more treys from the baseline and quickly put the Bears back in front, 31-17. It would be more of the same as another baseline three from Williams helped give Brown its largest lead of the half, 45-24, with just over three minutes to play. 

Looking for a little momentum before the break, Dobbs went to work, scoring two inside baskets in the paint and knocking down a couple of free throws as the Bulldogs scored the final eight points of the half to head into the locker room down, 47-34.

But in the second, Brown continued to fire away from deep as another three from Halpern helped push the lead back to 66-45, and the Bears would cruise from there to the 84-71 final.

Bryant will travel to Monmouth University Monday for a Northeast Conference matchup starting at 7 p.m. in West Long Branch, N.J.