CENTRAL CONNECTICUT TOO MUCH FOR BULLDOGS ON THE ROAD, DEFEAT BRYANT, 71-55

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The Bryant University men's basketball team had just a two-point deficit at halftime but couldn't overcome 11 second-half turnovers Wednesday night against Central Connecticut, falling to the Blue Devils, 71-55, to kick off the Northeast Conference's 2011 Rivalry Week at Detrick Gym.

Bryant (8-17, 6-7 NEC) started out sharp, as four-straight Bulldog threes and 10-consecutive points from rookie Matthew Lee (Bloomfield, N.J.) gave the visitors an 18-12 edge as the clock fell under the 13-minute mark, a 10-point swing after trailing 6-2 three minutes in.

Bryant would build that lead to 24-14 at the 11:14 mark, but the advantage wouldn't last long, as the Central Connecticut (17-7, 10-3) defense proved to be stifling on its home court, forcing turnovers and a less-than-ideal shot selection that held the visiting Bulldogs scoreless over the next 6:04 while the Blue Devils made up the 10-point deficit and then some, taking a 28-24 edge with under 7:30 to play in the half.

A three from Lee – his third of the game -- and a steal and consequent breakaway dunk from the rookie 13 seconds later broke the Bulldogs free of the drought, pulling the Black and Gold back on top for a temporary 29-28 lead, but the home side would get the final points of the frame to send Bryant into the locker room with a slight 31-29 deficit.

But out of the break, the Bulldogs began turning the ball over at an alarming rate – three in the opening 2:17 – scoring just four points through the first 4:38 to give the Blue Devils the time they needed to extend their lead to a 44-33 margin. All of Central's first 13 points came from the hands of junior forwards Ken Horton and Chris Baskerville, who would finish the night with a game-high 23 and 11 points, respectively.

The Bulldogs couldn't find their control as time went on either, giving the ball away eight times before the second television break as the home side opened up a 50-37 gap. The Blue Devils would score 11 more before the next Bryant basket – a stretch of 7:18 – to take a 61-40 advantage at the 6:43 mark.

And the never-say-die Bulldogs wouldn't pull a last-minute magic act this time around, eventually falling, 71-55, despite cutting the home team's lead from 23 points to 16 three times in the final four minutes.

Bryant struggled to control the fouls early on and would send Central Connecticut to the line 19 times in the second half alone, and the Blue Devils missed just twice from the charity stripe all day (22-for-24). The Bulldogs went just 7-of-15 from the foul line and shot 33.3 percent from the floor in the affair.

Rookie Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) paced the Black and Gold on the night, recording his sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Lee's 15 points were a team best for the visiting side, who turned the ball over 17 times in the affair. Senior Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) would also register double-figure points in the outing, with 11. Central Connecticut would grab an impressive 13 steals on the night, a game-high six coming from Horton, who also went 9-for-17 from the field with six blocks.

Bryant won't have much time for tweaks before they see the Blue Devils again, though, as CCSU makes the return trip to Smithfield, R.I. Saturday afternoon (4:00 p.m.).