Bulldogs wrap up homestand against SHU Thursday night on Ocean State Network

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 finishes up a four-game homestand with a regional bout against NEC rival Sacred Heart Thursday at the Chace Athletic Center. Thursday's 7 p.m. matchup will be carried live on Cox Sports and the Ocean State Network.

THE SERIES
The Bulldogs have matched up against the Pioneers more than any other team in the NEC, and Sacred Heart holds a 16-10 advantage in a series that dates back to the 1965-66 campaign. Sacred Heart and Bryant first faced off in the programs' Division II days, where 16 of the 25 contests between these sides took place. In 10 Division I meetings, Bryant has won just twice, but also enters Saturday's game with the most recent victory, an 84-68 topping of the Pioneers in Smithfield on Feb. 25 to earn a series split last season.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Sacred Heart enters Saturday's matchup with a 4-13 overall record and a 1-1 mark after the first weekend of Northeast Conference action. The Pioneers are led by Evan Kelley's 14.1 points per game and have four more players – Chris Evans (12.3 ppg), Louis Montes (11.6), Steve Glowiak (10.8) and De'Von Barnett (10.2) – also averaging double digits. On the glass, the team is paced by Mostafa Abdel Latif, who pulls down 5.7 boards per outing, and the senior also ranks second on the team in shooting percentage, converting 55.6 percent of his attempts from the floor. Barnett leads the team in the category at a clip of .565, while Phil Gaetano and Glowiak both hit at 40 percent or better from beyond the arc. As a team, Sacred Heart puts up 71.5 points per game and shoots at a .425 percent clip with 32.2 rebounds per contest.

CURRENT BULLDOGS vs. SACRED HEART
Eight current Bulldogs have faced off against the Pioneers in their Bryant careers, with seniors Alex Francis and Claybrin McMath having taken on Sacred Heart a team-leading six times. Junior Dyami Starks averages 26.5 points per game in a pair of outings, shooting 58.8 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from long range. Francis (11.3 in six games) and senior Corey Maynard (10.0 in four games) also average double figures.

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs are 1-1 against the Northeast Conference in 2013-14 with a 22-50 record (.306) against current NEC members since joining the Division I ranks. All-time against current conference institutions, the Bulldog basketball program is 36-67 (.350), having most frequently faced off against regional rival Sacred Heart (10-16). Bryant went 12-6 against league opponents last season, finishing tied for second in the regular-season standings to earn a No. 4 seed in the 2013 NEC Tournament.

FRANCIS ON FIRE
Senior Alex Francis has been on fire as of late, averaging 24.0 points per game over the last three outings. Francis has scored 20 or more points in three-straight contests —20 against Lehigh, 23 against Saint Francis U. and 29 against Robert Morris — and averages 7.7 rebounds per outing in that span. Since Dec. 30, Francis is 23-of-37 from the floor (.622) with five assists, a block and two steals.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Bryant dished out a season-high 20 assists last time out, despite falling short against Robert Morris. Senior Corey Maynard led that charge, handing out eight helpers in 38 minutes.

BLOCK PARTY
Rookie forward Dan Garvin has had quite an impact around the rim for the Bulldogs. The Connecticut native leads the team with 26 blocks so far this season — good for third on the league circuit — and is second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per outing. In last Thursday's NEC opener, the frosh set a new career mark with four stuffs. Since breaking into the starting lineup on Dec. 14, Garvin has 14 rejections.

#6THFAN
Bryant has the best fans in the NCAA. Now, it's time to prove it. The NCAA's 6th Fan contest is a nationwide online competition that will determine which Division I school has the most pride and the most supportive fans. Fans can be a part of the action and help Bryant earn over $100,000 in general scholarship contributions by voting for the Bulldogs once a day every day at ncaa.com/6thFan now until Feb. 16. Fans can also vote on Twitter by tweeting or retweeting the hashtags #6thFan and #BRYANT (both hashtags must appear for vote to count). The contest also includes prizes for individual fans, including an iPad Air and an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 Men's Final Four in North Texas April 5-7.

1,000 REASONS...
Junior sharpshooter Dyami Starks is poised to become the third player in a two-year span to join the 1,000-point club. He enters Thursday's contest with 962 career points, 88 of those coming during his freshman campaign at Columbia (2010-11). Starks needs just 38 points and at his  current pace this season will need only two more games to eclipse the milestone.

WINNING WAYS
For the second-straight season, Bryant finished its non-conference schedule with a winning record in 2013-14, going 8-7 over the campaign's opening two months. The Bulldogs finished non-league play with winning records against three different conferences, going 3-1 against the Ivy League, 2-0 against the Patriot League and 2-1 against the America East.

ANOTHER ACCOLADE FOR O'SHEA, BULLDOGS
The efforts and success of both the Bryant men's basketball team and its head coach throughout the 2012-13 campaign were once again recognized this week. Words Unlimited, Rhode Island's statewide organization of sports writers, sportscasters and sports publicists, named Tim O'Shea the Men's Sports Coach of the Year and Bryant University men's basketball the Story of the Year in 2013.

FOR THE 100TH TIME...
Starting forward Alex Francis appeared in his 100th-career game Dec. 7 against North Dakota State, and Dec. 30 at home against Lehigh, classmate and frontcourt counterpart Claybrin McMath joined his exclusive club, reaching his own 100th appearance donning the Black and Gold. Starting point guard Corey Maynard is just five appearances away from the benchmark.

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 25 dunks.

FRANCHISE FRANCIS: IN THE BRYANT RANKINGS
With half a season still to play, senior forward Alex Francis is already seated among the greatest scorers and rebounders the program has ever seen. After a 23-point performance in the NEC opener Jan. 9, he moved into the No. 3 spot on the all-time scoring list, and Francis enters Thursday contest with 1,800 career points. To move up to No. 2, however, Francis would need 440 points, a near-impossible order with just 14 regular-season games left to play.

Francis also ranks third on the rebounding charts with 844 in his career. He needs just 25 more boards to take over second place in that category. Francis also ranks in the program's top-10 in scoring average, field goals, field goal percentage, free throws made and rebounding average.

Bryant's Top-5 Career Scorers
1.    2390    Tom Smile, 1963-67
2.    2239    Ernie DeWitt, 1977-81
3.    1800    Alex Francis, 2010-Present
4.    1754    John Williams, 2002-06
5.    1715    Paul Berlo, 1979-83

Bryant's Top-5 Career Rebounders
1.    987    Mike Williams, 2000-05
2.    868    Jason Noel, 2000-04
3.    844    Alex Francis, 2010-Present
4.    828    Derek Kiggs, 1985-89
5.    805    Dave Sorafine, 1973-76

FRANCHISE FRANCIS: IN THE NEC RANKINGS
Bryant senior forward Alex Francis reached yet another plateau on his march up the NEC career scoring chart and enters Thursday's game ranked 14th all-time  with 1,800 career points. The senior forward needs just 75 more points to enter the top 10 but will need to cross over the 2,000-point threshold to make it into the top 5.

Francis also rises to 12th on the league's all-time rebounding list (844) and has a chance to become the first player in conference history to finish with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He needs 72 boards to break into the top 10.
 
More Francis/NEC Highlights...
» Francis is one of just four players in NEC history to rank in the top 20 in both scoring and rebounding in his career, joining the likes of CCSU's Ken Horton, LIU's Jamal Olasewere and Marist's Rik Smits.

» Francis is one of just 13 players in NEC history to reach 1,500 points and 750 rebounds in his career, and one of just five players in the league annals to reach 1,700 points and 800 boards.

» He currently ranks in the NEC top-10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, blocks and minutes played.

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 January 13, the senior is ranked third in career field goals (currently 680), seventh in career double-doubles (28), seventh in total rebounds (844), eighth in total points (1,800), 16th in career scoring average (16.7 ppg), 14th in free throws made (427) and 27th in rebounding average (7.8). He is one of just five active players to have 1,500 points and 750 rebounds to his name. Francis also ranks 34th in field goal percentage this season, shooting at a .573 clip, and 28th in minutes played, averaging 36.35 each time out.

A STARK DIFFERENCE
Bulldog leading scorer Dyami Starks averages 20.4 points per outing and 3.44 triples per game this season, ranking 24th and 12th in the nation and first and second in the league, respectively, in both categories in the latest NCAA and NEC rankings. Starks already has seven 20-point games and a quartet of 30-point performances to his name in 2013-14 and also sits in the conference's top-10 in free throw percentage and minutes played.

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 nearly 82 percent of Bryant's total scoring (952 of 1162 points). If you go outside the starting lineup, Bryant's bench has contributed just 151 points so far this season (13.0 percent). Leading the way with 326 points, Starks alone accounts for more than 28 percent of the team's total offense against Division I foes.

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 1,800 points and 844 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 14.3 points per game and 11.1 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.

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 (W, 90-80 OT)
Dec. 30 vs. Lehigh (W, 70-68)
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
The Bulldogs hit the road for the first time since December 28, heading to Teaneck, N.J., for the first of two season matchups against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3:00 p.m.