Bulldogs fall to Mount St. Mary's Monday

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Senior forward Alex Francis (Harlem, N.Y.) dropped in a game-high 22 points while junior Joe O'Shea (Burlington, Vt.) added 18 more, but the Bryant University men's basketball team would be shut out at Knott Arena once again, falling 88-73, Monday night in Emmitsburg, Md.

The Mount (12-15, 8-6 Northeast Conference) shot lights out from the floor, finishing with five players in double figures and a 54.5 percent shooting clip. Rashad Whack led the way with 21 points, while Julian Norfleet and Sam Prescott added 16 apiece.

The Bulldogs (17-12, 9-5) finished with three players in double digits, with junior guard Dyami Starks (Duluth, Minn.) completing the trifecta with 13 points. Francis scored his second-straight double-double in the outing, adding a game-best 10 rebounds to his game-high point total.

Mount St. Mary's led throughout the first half en route to a 48-34 halftime lead thanks to 12 points from Prescott and nine from Whack and Norfleet.

The Mountaineers would up their lead to 21 points just over five minutes into the second frame on a pair of Gregory Graves free throws before the Bulldogs began to whittle away at the home side's lead. Bryant closed the gap to 13 entering the final seven minutes of the contest and a Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) bucket narrowed Bryant's deficit to 10, 75-65, with 5:58 left in the contest.

But the Mount would kick it into high gear from there, scoring 11 of the next 15 points for an 86-69 advantage entering the final three minutes. And while the Bulldogs would push through the final whistle, it wouldn't be enough to overcome the Mountaineers at home.

The Bulldogs struggled from the line, going just 10-of-20 to the Mount's 17-of-19 clip. Mount St. Mary's shot better than 52 percent from long range (11-21), while Bryant went just 5-for-18 from distance. The Black and Gold were outrebounded on the night, 36-30.

Bryant enters the final weekend set of the regular season this Thursday, when it takes on St. Francis Brooklyn on ESPN3 at 7:00 p.m.