Blue Hens nip Bulldogs in OT, 108-107, at MSG

NEW YORK – In a game that snuck well into Sunday's earliest hour, the Bryant University men's basketball team beat the buzzer to force its second overtime in as many games but ultimately fell short, dropping a 108-107 decision to the University of Delaware at Madison Square Garden Saturday night in the BlackRock Gotham Classic finale.

Bryant (7-6) entered the final 60 seconds of regulation with a one-point lead, 93-92, but when the Bulldogs failed to respond after a quick Delaware (6-6) score, they were forced to foul. Kyle Anderson hit the second of two freebies to give the Blue Hens a 95-93 edge with 13.3 seconds to play, but with 0.8 seconds showing on the clock, senior Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) saw his layup fall through the netting to knot the game at 95-95.

In overtime, Delaware took a 101-97 lead that Francis would eliminate, but fouls would ultimately doom Bryant, as the Blue Hens converted 7-of-10 from the stripe in extra time.

Junior Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.) paced the game and tied his career best for the third time this season, posting 35 points while also draining 8-of-9 from beyond the arc to set a new career mark. The performance marked his fifth 30-point outing of the season.

Francis followed suit with a season-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor and a 10-for-18 mark from the charity stripe. Francis, Starks and rookie forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) would all finish the contest with eight rebounds to pace the Black and Gold. Garvin added 10 points and a pair of blocks while senior Corey Maynard (Adelaide, Australia) added 14 and dished out a game-best eight assists.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot an impressive 56.9 percent from the floor and went 11-for-18 from 3-point land (.611). Bryant struggled from the line, however, finishing the game at a .595 clip (22-37). Delaware finished the evening shooting 49.4 percent, but converted 26-of-36 from the line. The Blue Hens also won the battle on the glass, 42-40.

Francis and Starks did nearly all the scoring through the game's opening 10 minutes to keep the Bulldogs close to even with the Blue Hens, combining for 14 of the team's first 18 points. Bryant stayed out ahead of its opponent until the 13:40 mark, when five-straight Devon Saddler points gave Delaware an advantage it would keep for much of the stanza.

The Blue Hens started to pull away with eight to go in the half and built up a 33-24 lead with 7:08 to go on another Saddler trey, but the Bulldogs answered with five points of their own to come back within four with 5:13 to play.

Delaware maintained its advantage until just before the two-minute mark, though, when Starks drained back-to-back threes from well beyond the arc to put the Black and Gold out in front, 40-38. The run forced the Blue Hens to call their first timeout of the night, but Delaware wouldn't make up the difference before the intermission.

Francis – who went scoreless for his next seven from the charity stripe after starting his night 2-for-2 from the line – hit his last freebie of the frame with 49 seconds to go, and the senior would cap off the stanza with an emphatic dunk to send the Bulldogs into the locker room with a 43-40 advantage.

Delaware saw just four scorers through the first 20 minutes and committed 13 fouls to Bryant's six. The Bulldogs struggled to convert their attempts from the line, however, finishing the session with an 8-for-19 clip.

Delaware continued to foul early in the second half, and the Bulldogs started off the frame shooting better than 57 percent from the floor to stay out in front by five through the first five minutes. The Blue Hens cut it to two, 64-62, with 12:34 on the clock, but a three-point play the other way by Francis put the Bulldogs back up by five.

Delaware would continue to threaten Bryant's lead over the next three minutes before finally knotting the game at 69-69 with 10:06 to play on an Anderson tip in.

Usher gave the Blue Hens their first lead of the stanza from the line, 74-73, with 8:27 left in regulation, and Delaware took a three-point edge soon after. Bryant would knot it back up quickly, marking the first of five ties over the next four minutes.

The Bulldogs would take an 86-85 edge on Starks's sixth triple of the night with 3:45 to play, and the junior repeated the shot seconds later. Francis followed it up with a breakaway slam, putting the Bulldogs on top, 91-88, with 2:34 left in the contest.

The teams would find themselves knotted at 92-92 with 1:09 showing on the clock, setting up the showdown in the final minute of regulation to set up overtime.

The Bulldogs have the next week off for winter break before returning to the court Saturday, Dec. 28 at Binghamton for a 2:00 p.m. faceoff against the Bearcats.