Bryant looks to get back on track against first-place Robert Morris Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.)

BRYANT vs. THE NORTHEAST CONFERENCE
The Bulldogs are 6-3 in Northeast Conference play in 2014-15 and sport a 37-59 record (.385) against current NEC members since joining the Division I ranks. All-time against current conference institutions, the Bulldog basketball program is 51-76 (.402). Entering Saturday action, Bryant sits in third place in the NEC standings, one game behind league leaders Robert Morris and St. Francis Brooklyn.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs wrap up their three-game Western Pennsylvania road trip as well as 2014-15 non-conference play with a Monday night tilt against ACC newcomer the University of Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center (7:00 p.m.). The game can be seen live on ESPN3.

COUNT TO THE MOUNT
This Thursday, Feb. 5, the Bulldogs will host one of the biggest games ever at the Chace Athletic Center, as Bryant welcomes defending NEC champ Mount St. Mary's to Smithfield for its first-ever nationally televised home game. The 7:00 p.m. matchup will air live on ESPNU.

THUNDER FROM DOWN UNDER
Redshirt-freshman Bosko Kostur had a breakout night Thursday at DeGol Arena despite a Bryant loss. The Melbourne, Australia resident seized his opportunity, exploding for new career highs in points (18), rebounds (7), assists (3), field goals (7), field goals attempted (12) and minutes (32) while tying his career mark at the free throw line (3-4). The outing marked just the second double-digit point performance of his career and the first against Division I competition. Kostur entered the game having averaged just 2.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 5.5 minutes per game in 10 appearances.

REGULAR JOE
Senior captain Joe O'Shea also remained hot for the Black and Gold despite the loss to the Red Flash, tying his career high with 21 points against Saint Francis U. for the second time this season. O'Shea has been on fire for the Bulldogs since the start of 2015, averaging 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in January while shooting nearly 52 percent from the floor (49-95) and 43 percent from distance (16-37). The guard has registered double-digit points seven times in January and nine times in the last 13 games, surpassing 20 points in a contest twice (both against Saint Francis U.). O'Shea picked up just the second double-double of his career Jan. 22 in a win over LIU Brooklyn, including pulling down a career-high 12 rebounds (15 points). He has recorded 19 points or more four times since the start of NEC play and averages 15.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in league action.

STARKS ENTERS NEC'S ALL-TIME TOP-20
After becoming the 50th player in NEC history to reach 200 career 3-pointers back on Dec. 3, senior guard Dyami Starks has been working his way up the league's all-time list, officially joining the top-20 Thursday night against Saint Francis U. His two treys moved him past Danny Basile (Marist '96) and into sole possession of 20th in the all-time rankings with 240 trifectas over the course of his career at Bryant (2+ seasons). To reach the top-10, the Minnesota native — who currently averages three triples per game — needs to hit 30 more treys. Already, Starks is Bryant's Division I leader in threes, and the senior moved into fourth on the program's all-time list on Jan. 20. Including his rookie season at Columbia, Starks now has 259 career trifectas.

ALL ABOARD
For just the second time this season, the Bulldogs outrebounded their opponent but lost Thursday night at Saint Francis U. Bryant won the battle on the glass, 37-28, and is averaging nearly six more rebounds per game in January (36.0) than it had through the first two months of the season (30.3). The Black and Gold have pulled in 40 or more rebounds three times this month, including a season-high 45 at LIU Brooklyn to open NEC play on Jan. 3 — just one shy of tying the DI program mark and the most in a game since Feb. 24, 2011 (46 at LIU Brooklyn). The Black and Gold are now 8-2 this season when winning the margin on the glass, after also falling to Harvard Jan. 20 despite a 36-34 margin.

CHARITY CASE
Senior guard Dyami Starks went a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe against the Red Flash, marking the first time in the Bulldogs' Division I program history that a player has gone 100 percent from the line (mininum 10). Eight of those makes came in the second half, when Bryant scored 16 points off free throws, just one shy of its total from the field (17 points, 7-29).

STARKS HITS MORE MILESTONES
Dyami Starks hit yet another major career milestone last Saturday at home against the Pioneers, scoring his 1,500 collegiate point in just his 99th career game. It was the fourth career milestone of the week, as Starks also netted his 500th career field goal Jan. 20 against Harvard (519) and needs just eight more baskets to do so as a Bulldog. He also drained his 250th career 3-pointer against the Crimson (259; 240 at Bryant) and hit his 200th free throw as a Bulldog, as well (229 in career). Starks has 1,438 points in 80 games as a Bulldog and played in his 100th career game Thursday at Saint Francis U.

BULLDOGS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Senior guard Dyami Starks enters Saturday's matchup ranked 21st in the national statistics for threes per game (3.00, 1st in NEC). The Duluth, Minn., native also ranks 14th in minutes per game (37:06, 1st in NEC), 17th in free throw percentage (.887, 1st in NEC), 86th in points per game (17.1, 2nd in NEC) and 88th in 3-point percentage (.337, 3rd in NEC). Sophomore forward Dan Garvin ranks 87th in rebounds per game (7.7, 3rd in NEC), while junior guard Shane McLaughlin is 92nd in minutes per outing (34:37, 4th in NEC).

HOLD ON TIGHT
After turning the ball over just one single time despite an 83-66 loss to the Pioneers last Saturday, the Bulldogs now rank 18th in the nation in fewest turnovers (208 times in 19 games). Bryant also ranks 29th in the country with a 10.9 per-game average, tops in the NEC.

SHOOTING PROFILE
The Bulldogs have shot better than 50 percent three times in January and are 4-0 on the season when hitting the mark. Conversely, Bryant's 73-60 win over FDU Jan. 10 marked the first time this season the Bulldogs have shot less than 40 percent from the field (.392) and come away with the victory. Bryant is now 1-9 when shooting below .400 but is 8-1 when converting at least 40 percent of its shots.

SHARING THE LOAD
After senior guard Dyami Starks led the Bulldogs in scoring in each of the first eight games of the season, the Bryant offense  has started to share the load, diversifying its offensive options. Prior to Dec. 31, Starks outscored the team's next leading scorer by 13.2 points per game, averaging 19.8 each time out. Over the last 10 games, however, three players are averaging double figures (Starks-15.6; O'Shea-14.9; Garvin-11.5).

DAN THE MAN
Sophomore forward Dan Garvin was the bright spot in the Bulldogs' 83-66 loss to Sacred Heart last Saturday afternoon, picking up his second double-double in the last four games and hitting the 20-point mark for the first time in his career. His 20 points and 13 rebounds were both game bests, and his numbers on the glass were the second-highest single-game mark of season for the Black and Gold. Garvin led the Bulldogs in scoring for the first time ever, also tying his career high with three assists while posting a pair of blocks in 36 minutes. It was the 10th time this season and 19th time in his career the bigman has led his team on the glass.

PIONEER PUSH
The Bulldogs may have scored a season low in turnovers (1), but they also allowed their opponents a season high on the scoreboard. Sacred Heart's 83 points are the most the Black and Gold have given up all season.

BULLDOGS ANNOUNCE 2014-15 BROADCAST PACKAGE, BRYANT TO HOST ESPNU GAME FEB. 5
The Bryant University men's basketball team will be featured on live national and regional broadcasts four times throughout the 2014-15 season, including twice as part of the 30-game NEC TV package. The Bulldogs' season opener against reigning national champion UConn will air live on SNY, ESPN FullCourt and ESPN3 on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. The team's next appearance won't come until after the new year, as the Bulldogs make their national TV debut on Thursday, Jan. 29 in Loretto, Pa., in a rematch of last year's NEC Tournament Quarterfinal against Saint Francis U. The game will be carried on Fox College Sports, Cox Sports, Root Sports and ESPN3. The men return to ESPN3 for a Feb. 2 match against Pittsburgh. The Bulldogs then welcome defending NEC champ Mount St. Mary's to Smithfield on Feb. 5 to host the first-ever nationally televised game from the Chace Athletic Center live on ESPNU.

WARE, OH WARE
Rookie guard Hunter Ware led the Bulldogs and posted a career-high 20 points in a Jan. 17 road win over CCSU (70-54). The performance was a game high and came off an 8-of-11 shooting mark from the field, including a pair of treys. It marked the first 20-point outing of the Georgia native's young career.

OH DANNY BOY
Sophomore starting forward Dan Garvin picked up his second double-double in a three-game span Dec. 17 at CCSU, scoring 15 points while pulling in a game-best 11 rebounds. The Bethel, Conn., native recorded a host of new career highs Jan. 8 and 10 en route to earning his first-career Northeast Conference weekly honor, including setting new personal bests for points scored in both of Bryant's wins. Garvin netted a then-career-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds and three blocks in an 80-54 win over Saint Francis U. Jan. 8, but his most impressive showing was yet to come. In Jan. 10's 73-60 victory over FDU, he established new career marks with 16 points, 18 rebounds and four steals in the first double-double effort of the year by a Bryant player. The 18 rebounds tied for the most in the NEC this year and marked the highest total by a Bulldog since Alex Francis ('14) recorded 18 at CCSU on January 12, 2013.

WINNING WITHOUT THE THREE
For just the third time this season, the Bulldogs converted fewer than five 3-pointers Jan. 15 against Wagner, but the abnormally low trey total didn't affect the Black and Gold, who simply got it done from inside the arc, including a 27-of-36 mark at the free throw line. Bryant started the game 1-for-10 from distance over the first 20 minutes but went 3-for-6 from long range in the second half.

IT'S A LONG SHOT
After struggling from distance in three-straight contests (.200), the Bulldogs rebounded with their best 3-point shooting game of the season Jan. 8 against Saint Francis U. Bryant converted a season-high 47.6 percent of its trifectas (10-21) and spread the long-ball love around. Rookie guard Hunter Ware led the way, going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc while senior Joe O'Shea added three more in eight attempts en route to tying his career high with 21 points. Senior sharpshooter Dyami Starks added another trey, while junior point guard Shane McLaughlin went 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Bryant currently averages 6.9 triples per contest.

FACTS ABOUT 50
For the third time this season, the Bulldogs scored less than 50 points in a game Jan. 5 at St. Francis Brooklyn. However, unlike the last time — a 48-46 win at Denver — the Black and Gold would not come out the other side unscathed. Bryant is now 1-2 this season when scoring fewer than 50 points, having also lost a 73-47 decision at Vermont earlier in the 2014-15 campaign. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs hadn't scored 50 points or fewer in a game since Dec. 11, 2013 (86-48 loss at No. 3 Ohio State).

Bryant has held Division I opponents to 50 points or fewer five times and are 4-1 in the scenario, with the last such victory (prior that against the Pioneers) coming back on Feb. 17, 2009 (70-46 win vs. NJIT at home). The Bulldogs' win over Denver marked the first time in Division I program history that Bryant has scored 50 points or fewer and won, and also marked the first time that both teams have scored fewer than 50 points in a contest.

SCOCCA SOARS
Sophomore bigman Andrew Scocca made the most of his career-high 26 minutes against Army Dec. 9, setting new career marks in points (11), rebounds (7), made baskets (4) and field goal attempts (7). Scocca registered double-digit points for the first time in his career and added two blocks for the second-straight contest, as the forward continues to press for more court time in 2014-15.

BLOCKHEADS
Sophomore forward Dan Garvin set a new career high with five blocks Dec. 6 at intrastate rival Brown and became the first Bulldog to hit the mark since Ben Altit did so against Robert Morris during the 2011-12 season (Feb. 16, 2012). Sophomore forward Andrew Scocca added two more for a season-high seven as a team on the night. Scocca's two stuffs were the first blocks of his career, but the sophomore repeated the effort at Army three days later.

50 NIFTY
In the Nov. 20 home opener against UNH, Bryant used a 12-0 start and 56 percent first-half shooting to score 50 points in a single half for the first time since Jan. 24 (at Saint Francis U.). Senior guard Dyami Starks scored a half-high nine points on 4-for-9 shooting, while rookie Hunter Ware scored all eight of his points in the opening 20 minutes.

BULLDOGS BATTLE REIGNING NATIONAL CHAMPS WIRE TO WIRE
Facing off against the reigning national champions didn't scare the Bulldogs in the 2014-15 season opener Nov. 14 at Gampel Pavilion, as the Bulldogs proved they were right where they belonged against No. 17/15 UConn. Bryant used an 18-0 first-half run to turn an 11-point deficit into a seven-point lead with six minutes left in the frame to take control of the contest and carry a 34-28 lead into intermission. The Bulldogs fought hard after the break, maintaining the lead until the 12-minute mark of the second stanza before the defending national champs rallied for a 66-53 win. Senior guard Dyami Starks — the NEC's leading returning scorer from a year ago — paced Bryant with 18 points and added six boards, while sophomore Dan Garvin added 10 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks.

OVERSEAS UPDATE
Many graduated Bulldogs aren't done when they leave the Chace Athletic Center court. Four former Bryant players are still active on rosters overseas entering this season, including 2014 graduates Alex Francis and Corey Maynard. Francis currently suits up for Haukar of the Icelandic Dominos League and is among the league's leaders in points (25.9), rebounds (14.6), steals (2.2) and field goal percentage (54.2 percent). Maynard signed a contract to play for Cairns Taipans of Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) back in April, while 2013 graduate Vlad Kondratyev is still playing professionally in the Ukraine. Adam Parzych ('10) plays for Krosno in Poland.

BULLDOGS ON NBA BENCHES
Under new head coach Derek Fisher, the New York Knicks have become a haven for former Bulldogs. Bryant basketball alum Josh Longstaff ('05) and former assistant coach Brian Keefe (2001-05) both take to the Madison Square Garden bench as assistant coaches for the Knicks this season. Both were part of Bryant's run to the Division II National Championship Game in 2004-05 and went to New York after spending four and seven seasons, respectively, with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

MEET HEAD COACH TIM O'SHEA
Now in his seventh season at the helm of the Bryant program and entering his 14th year as a head coach in 2014-15, Tim O'Shea (Boston College '84) has ushered in a new era for Bryant basketball, not only leading the Bulldogs through the arduous NCAA reclassification process, but then producing a one-year transformation that went down in the NCAA history books.  O'Shea went on to guide the Black and Gold to back-to-back Northeast Conference playoff berths in the last two seasons, producing nine all-conference selections in his time in Smithfield. Under the guidance of O'Shea, the Bulldogs served notice to their foes both in conference and out, picking up breakthrough wins over the likes of Boston College, Lehigh and Robert Morris, among others. O'Shea and his troops earned a national ranking in the Mid-Major Top 25 for seven weeks during the 2012-13 campaign and claimed the No. 4 seed in the NEC Tournament in the program's first year of postseason eligibility, finishing third last year on the 2013-14 regular-season ladder. O'Shea garnered much attention after the Bulldogs' historic season and earned three major coaching awards in 2012-13, including the Jim Phelan NEC Coach of the Year (as voted by league head coaches), College Insider NEC Coach of the Year and Rhode Island Coach of the Year. Before arriving in Smithfield, O'Shea was previously the head coach at Ohio University for seven seasons. He was also an assistant at the University of Rhode Island (1988-1997) and Boston College (1997-2001), his alma mater. He enters the 2014-15 season with an overall record of 177-220.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?
One of the most experienced coaching staffs in the nation, the 2014-15 Bryant bench boasts 44 years of Division I head coaching experience across three of its coaches. Head coach Tim O'Shea enters his 14th season in 2014-15, and he is flanked by a pair of highly experienced associate head coaches in Happy Dobbs (fourth season) and Al Skinner (second season). A former head coach at both Boston College and the University of Rhode Island, Skinner spent 22 seasons leading Division I programs, a career that has included nine NCAA tournament appearances, four conference titles and a 2001 National Coach of the Year distinction. Dobbs brings eight years of head coaching experience to the sideline, all served at nearby Brown University. Of the staff's 44 head coaching seasons, more than half have been spent at DI programs within the Ocean State's borders (O'Shea, 7 at Bryant; Dobbs, 8 at Brown; Skinner 9 at URI).

FAMOUS FAMILY
Bryant junior Curtis Oakley has close family ties to the basketball world. Oakley is the nephew of NBA vet Charles Oakley, who played 19 seasons in the pros with five different teams, including 10-straight seasons with the New York Knicks from 1988-98. A 1994 NBA All-Star, Oakley played four years at Virginia Union University and retired from the NBA in 2004, posting career numbers of 9.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting just under 50 percent.

TICKET TO RIDE
Single-game ticket packages are still available for the 2014-15 Bryant University men's and women's basketball seasons. Tickets can be purchased 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. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2014-15 athletic seasons, including live, free-of-charge, high-definition broadcasts of all Bulldog home men's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard, state-of-the-art graphics and brand-new DVR functionality. Visit necfrontrow.com for more information and a schedule of events.

BRYANT HOOPS ON WOON RADIO
For the seventh season, all Bryant University basketball home games and select road contests can be heard LIVE on WOON 1240 AM. 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.