GRESHAM AND LEE SCORE 26, NOT ENOUGH AS BULLDOG FALL TO MONMOUTH IN OVERTIME, 81-76

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Despite 26-point performances from Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) and rookie Matt Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) and a game-tying 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left in regulation by Raphael Jordan (Bel Air, Md.), the Bryant University men's basketball team saw its longest winning streak of its brief Division I history come to an end Saturday, as visiting Monmouth escaped with an 81-76 overtime victory in Northeast Conference at the Chace Athletic Center.

Bryant, which came into the game the winner of four in a row following a thrilling victory Thursday over Fairleigh Dickinson, looked sharp early against the Hawks, shooting well from the perimeter and getting a strong game from Gresham off the bench.

The Bulldogs (6-14, 4-4 Northeast Conference) made 10 treys in the first half and finished the game with a school-record 17 trifectas, as Gresham and Lee combined for 31 of Bryant's 38 first-half points and combined for nine of Bryant's 10 threes in the frame to give the Bulldogs a 38-33 lead at the break. Lee would finish the game with a career-high 26 points, eclipsing his 19 points scored at the University of Michigan in December, and drilled a career-best six 3-pointers in the contest. Gresham went 6-for-7 shooting from the floor in the opening stanza to pace the Bulldogs to 59.1 percent shooting from the field in the first half.

In the second frame, the Bulldogs opened up a 56-49 edge following a three from freshman Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) with eight minutes left. But Monmouth (6-14, 2-6) would not let the Bulldogs run away with it, as the Hawks continued to hit several big 3-pointers and hit the boards hard on the offensive end to pull to 58-57 with just over five minutes to go.

A nearly five-minute long cold spell by the Bulldogs on offense let the Hawks pull out in front, 67-61, following a corner three from Mike Myers-Keitt and a free throw by Ed Waite, but then it was the Bulldogs' turn to chip away, getting a nice putback from Maynard underneath. Following a long-range three from Lee, Maynard connected once again with a triple from the corner and quickly brought Bryant back to within a point, 70-69, with 18.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

Monmouth's Meyers-Keitt would hit a pair of free throws to give the visitors a 72-69 lead. With 17 seconds left, the Bulldogs worked the ball around the perimeter patiently to Frankie Dobbs (Berea, Ohio), who eventually dished the ball off to a wide-open Jordan on the baseline. The sophomore guard drained the game-tying 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, the Bulldogs led briefly, 76-74, after a coast-to-coast bucket by Jordan following a Papa Lo (Thies, Senegal) rebound, but a three from Jesse Steele and four free throws by Waite in the closing seconds helped seal the win for Monmouth.

Steele led the Hawks with 19 points, including five 3-pointers. Dobbs handed out a game-best 10 assists despite the loss, tying his career high, while Lee also set new personal-best marks in field goals made (10) and 3-pointers made (6). As a team, the Bulldogs fired an incredible 42 shots from long range, a season high, and dished out a sesaon-best 19 helpers on the game.

Bryant's previous record for threes in a game was 16 in a 78-76 win over the University of Bridgeport back on Nov. 19, 2005. The Bulldogs will host Wagner College Thursday at 7 p.m.