Navy visits Bryant Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

FULL GAME NOTES
TV: Ocean State Network
Watch: NECfrontrow.com / CoxSportsOnline.com
Listen: WOON 1240 AM
Live Stats: bryantbulldogs.com
Follow along on Twitter: @BryantGameday

THE PARTICULARS
Bryant returns home to the friendly confines of the Chace Athletic Center to play its fourth game in the last eight days, this time hosting the U.S. Naval Academy Saturday at 12:30 p.m. live on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network.

THE SERIES
This is just the second meeting between the Bulldogs and the Midshipmen on the hardwood, as Navy makes a return trip to Smithfield, R.I., after topping Bryant, 69-59, at Alumni Hall in Annapolis last season.

SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
Navy enters the Chace Athletic Center riding a three-game winning streak dating back to Nov. 23, also adding victories over Goucher and Binghamton on the season. The Midshipmen are averaging only 66.1 points per contest but allow just under 61 opponent points each time out. The Mids are led by a pair of double-digit scorers in Tilman Dunbar (12.0 ppg) and Worth Smith (10.9), while Smith and Will Kelly pace Navy on the glass with 5.5 and 6.3 rebounds per contest, respectively. Kelly has posted a team-leading 15 blocks entering Saturday's game while Dunbar handles much of the distribution with a side-high 37 assists. As a unit, the Mids are shooting 42 percent from the floor with a 29.2 percent clip from beyond the arc and 69.4 percent accuracy from the free throw line. Navy pulls in nearly 39 boards per game and will be playing in just their second game of the last 18 days.

DID YOU KNOW?
This is the third of three-straight televised games for the Black and Gold this week. Monday's night's 70-59 loss to the Fighting Irish was seen live on ESPNU, and Wednesday's bout against No. 3 Ohio State was broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Saturday's home game will be broadcast live on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network, as well as online at CoxSportsOnline.com and NECFrontRow.com.

CURRENT BULLDOGS vs. NAVY
Seven players on the Bulldogs' 16-man roster faced off against the Midshipmen the only other time these programs have matched up -- Dec 10, 2012 in Annapolis, Md. Junior Joe O'Shea posted a game-high 15 points in last year's outing, and Bryant returns 48 of the team's points in the 69-59 road loss. Current Bulldogs shot a combined 16-for-46 (.348) against Navy a season ago, and four of last year's starters return to the court for the 2013 rematch.

BRYANT vs. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
Bryant enters Saturday's matchup 2-9 against current Patriot League members in its short Division I history, earning its only two victories over the conference last December in a win over Army at home Dec. 1, 70-59, and an upset stunner over Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., on Dec. 29, 80-79. Six of Bryant's 11 all-time tilts against Patriot League constituents have come against the Black Knights (1-5), with three more coming against Lehigh (1-2) and one against both Bucknell (0-1) in 2009-10 and Navy (0-1) in 2012-13. Saturday's game marks the first of two Patriot League matchups for the Bulldogs not just this year, but this month. Bryant will host Lehigh at home Dec. 30 (7:00 p.m.).

NOW PRESIDING...
Bryant University President Ronald K. Machtley is himself a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Class of 1970. He went on to earn a juris doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in 1978 and served on active duty in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a captain of the U.S. Naval Reserves in 1995 after 25 years of service. From 1992 to 1995, Machtley was a member of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a United States Congressman for the State of Rhode Island from 1989 to 1995, where he served on numerous committees and subcommittees, including the House Armed Services Committee.
 
MISSING THE GLUE
Senior point guard Corey Maynard has always been a "glue guy" on the court, and the Bulldogs felt the loss Wednesday night when they took on No. 3 Ohio State without their senior starter and floor general. The 6-foot-3 guard averages 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season and has dished out 46 assists in the season's first 10 games.

LOWBALL
Playing the third-ranked team in the nation doesn't come without its challenges, and the Bulldogs suffered some season firsts at the hands of the Buckeyes. Bryant was held to less than 50 points for the first time since Providence College did so in an 81-49 victory back on Nov. 12, 2012. Against the Buckeyes, the Bulldogs also shot a dismal 27.6 percent from the field, limited to less than 30 percent shooting for the first time in nearly two full years (22.7% at Robert Morris on Feb. 3, 2011).

Bryant has now suffered three-consecutive losses for the first time this campaign and has been held to season lows in each of its last three games. North Dakota State handed Bryant its first home loss and first loss when holding opponents under 70 points this season back Dec. 7. Notre Dame then held the Bulldogs under 60 points for the first time in 2013-14 just two days later, handing the Bulldogs their first back-to-back losses of the year.

A STARK DIFFERENCE
Bulldog leading scorer Dyami Starks averages 21.5 points per outing this season and ranks eighth in the nation and tops in the league circuit in the latest NCAA and NEC rankings (Dec. 8). Starks already has five 20-point games and a trio of 30-point performances to his name in 2013-14 and sits in the conference's top-10 in free throw percentage (.896, third, 25th nationally), 3-pointers per game (3.20, second, 26th nationally), steals (1.20, tied for ninth) and minutes played (35.90, first, 28th nationally).

DUNK COUNT
The dunk count is on once again in 2013-14, but this time around, there is another who might challenge the reign of senior Alex Francis. Rookie forward Dan Garvin has also gotten some hangtime already this season, with the pair combining for 13 slams in the first 11 regular-season contests, despite having none in the last two outings.

FRANCHISE FRANCIS: IN THE BRYANT RANKINGS
With 17 points Monday night against the Fighting Irish, senior forward Alex Francis breaks into the top five in the program's list of greatest scorers. He enters Saturday's contest with 1,662 career points — good for fifth all-time — but will need a few more games to displace No. 4 on the list, Paul Berlo (1,715 points). He is also currently ranked fifth among the program's all-time career rebounding leaders, needing just 11 more to take sole possession of No. 4 on that list. Francis ranks in the program's top-10 in scoring average, field goals, field goal percentage, free throws made and rebounding average as well.

FRANCHISE FRANCIS: IN THE NEC RANKINGS
Bryant senior forward Alex Francis has already cracked the top-50 on the Northeast Conference's career scoring list this season, and he enters Saturday's matchup ranked 32nd all-time with 1,662 career points — a number that is also good for tops among active players in the conference. Francis also breaks into the league's top-20 all-time for rebounding after last Saturday's nine-board performance and is currently 19th with 795. He is one of 13 just players in NEC history to reach 1,500 points and 750 boards in his career, and the New York City product is currently on pace to become the first player in conference history to finish with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Francis currently ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring (15.6, sixth), rebounding (6.1, fifth), field goal percentage (.558, first), blocks (1.09, tied for ninth) and minutes played (34.64, third).

FRANCHISE FRANCIS: IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
In the latest NCAA rankings, Bryant senior forward Alex Francis currently sits among the top active NCAA Division I players in numerous categories. As of December 8, the senior is ranked fourth in career field goals (currently 633), fifth in career double-doubles (27), seventh in total rebounds (795), eighth in total points (1,662), 12th in career scoring average (16.3ppg), 16th in free throws made (383), 25th in rebounding average (7.8) and 48th in career field goal percentage (.533). He is one of just five active players to have 1,500 points and 750 rebounds to his name. Francis also ranks 31st in field goal percentage, shooting at a .558 clip so far in 2013-14.

A CONCENTRATED EFFORT
The Bulldogs have certainly added depth in 2013-14, but the Bryant bench has yet to prove it on the scoreboard. Against Division I opponents this season, just four Bulldog starters — juniors Dyami Starks and Joe O'Shea and seniors Alex Francis and Corey Maynard — are responsible for 82 percent of Bryant's total scoring (565 of 689 points). If you go outside the starting lineup, Bryant's bench has contributed just 113 points so far this season (16.4 percent). Leading the way with 215 points, Starks alone accounts for more than 31 percent of the team's total offense.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
In what has already been a season filled with milestones, senior forward Alex Francis has one more historic height to reach. With 1,636 points and 786 rebounds, Francis has the potential to become the first player in NEC history to score 2,000 points and pull down 1,000 rebounds in a career. An All-NEC First Teamer last season and unanimous Preseason All-NEC pick, he will need to average 16.9 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per outing to hit those marks before the conclusion of the regular season.

A former NEC Rookie of the Year and potential Player of the Year candidate this season, Francis has boasted back-to-back 500-point campaigns, but will need to post a career season on the glass (272) to be the first to hit historic mark. Currently, Francis is the NEC's active scoring leader and ranks second in career rebounds among all active players on the league circuit.

1,000 REASONS...
After leading the Bulldogs in nearly every offensive statistic and setting the program's Division I mark for points in a season last year, junior sharpshooter Dyami Starks could become the third player in a two-year span to join the 1,000-point club. He enters Wednesday's contest with 851 career points, 88 of those coming during his freshman campaign at Columbia (2010-11). Starks will need to average just 7.5 points per game — well below both his Bryant and career scoring averages — to eclipse the milestone by the end of the 2013-14 regular season.

BULLDOGS ANNOUNCE FIVE-GAME PARTNERSHIP WITH OSN
With six men's basketball games already scheduled for national TV, Bryant University Athletics announced this week that five more will be featured locally on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network in 2013-14. In partnering with Cox Communications, the Bulldogs bring their exciting brand of basketball into the homes of viewers throughout Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut, as well as across the country with CoxSportsOnline.com. Fans will have the opportunity to witness one of the strongest programs in the state playing in five home games, backed by the best home fans in the Northeast Conference.

All five games will be broadcast LIVE in High Definition on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network and streamed online at coxsportsonline.com and necfrontrow.com. Mike Mancuso will handle the play-by-play duties and Chris Disano will serve as the color analyst. The five-game package kicks osff on Saturday, Dec. 14 as the Black and Gold host Navy at 12:30 p.m.

Bryant Basketball on OSN
Dec. 14 vs. Navy (12:30 p.m.)
Dec. 30 vs. Lehigh (7:00 p.m.)
Jan. 16 vs. Sacred Heart (7:00 p.m.)
Jan. 25 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (1:00 p.m.)
Feb. 22 vs. Central Connecticut (4:00 p.m.)

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT?
The Bryant men's basketball team will be featured in live national and regional broadcasts 11 times throughout the 2013-14 season. The Bulldogs will see air time on ESPNU at Notre Dame on Dec. 9 and at Robert Morris Jan. 30 (also on ESPN3). The Big Ten Network will carry Bryant's Dec. 11 game at Ohio State, while NEC road matchups against LIU Brooklyn on Jan. 23 (MSG+, Fox College Sports and Cox) and Wagner Feb. 16 (CBS Sports Network) will also air nationally. Bryant's season opener against No. 15 Gonzaga was broacast live on KHQ/Root Sports. Bryant will air five additional home games on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network throughout Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut — Dec. 14 vs. Navy (12:30 p.m.), Dec. 30 vs. Lehigh (7 p.m.), Jan. 16 vs. Sacred Heart (7 p.m.), Jan. 25 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn (1:00 p.m.) and Feb. 22 vs. Central Connecticut (4:00 p.m.).

TICKET TO RIDE
Single-game and season ticket packages are still available for the 2013-14 Bryant University men's and women's basketball seasons. Fans can purchase tickets online at bryantbulldogs.com/tickets or by calling the Bryant Athletics Ticket Office at 401-319-TIXX.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference have partnered with Pack Network to create NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts in 2013-14. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2013-14 athletic seasons, including live, free-of-charge broadcasts of all Bulldog home and in-conference road men's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard and state-of-the-art graphics. Visit necfrontrow.com for more information and a schedule of events.

BRYANT HOOPS ON WOON RADIO
For the sixth-consecutive season, all Bryant University basketball home games and select road contests can be heard LIVE on WOON 1240 AM and online at bryantbulldogs.com. Veteran sportscaster Jon Wallach of 98.5 FM The Sports Hub Boston returns to call the action as the voice of the Bulldogs, alongside color analyst Tristan Hobbes.

UP NEXT
While this game ends Bryant's toughest stretch of the season — the team will have played five games in 11 days at the conclusion of Saturday's contest — it also marks the beginning of a weeklong break for the Black and Gold to accommodate final exams. Bryant won't return to the court until next Saturday, Dec. 21, when the Bulldogs wrap up BlackRock Gotham Classic play with their final contest before the holiday break, a 9:30 p.m. bout against the University of Delaware at Madison Square Garden in New York City.