Pettway nets career-high 26 points to pace Bulldogs in their 88-72 NEC opener win over CCSU

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team grabbed its first double-digit advantage late in the opening half, and would not lead by fewer than nine points the rest of the way, cruising to a 88-72 win over Central Connecticut State University in the Northeast Conference opener on Saturday afternoon.  

Freshman forward Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.) led all scorers with a career-high 26 points on an 11-for-17 effort from the floor, adding five boards and a block. In total, five Bulldogs (4-10, 1-0 NEC) scored in double figures, marking the first time that has happened all season.

Senior captain Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) totaled 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, while guards Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) finished with 16 and 11 points, respectively, shooting a combined 54 percent from the floor and 50 percent from downtown. Junior bigman Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) poured in 15 points, going 7-for-12 from the floor, while snaring 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. The Black and Gold shot better than 53 percent from the floor (38-71) and 45 percent from 3-point land (5-11).

Khaleb Cumberlander headed the Blue Devils (1-11, 0-1 NEC) with 17 points, while Brandon Peel posted 16 points and a team-high 12 rebounds. CCSU shot 43.5 percent from the floor but just 33 percent from long range, while committing 16 turnovers.  

The first six minutes of action featured six lead changes and one tie, with the Bulldogs trailing, 10-9, at the 14:11 mark. A McLaughlin left-handed finger roll put Bryant on top, 11-10, with just under 14 minutes to go in the half and it initiated a 34-22 Black and Gold run to close out the frame.  

Immediately following McLaughlin's layin, Ware came up with back-to-back steals that lead to Bulldog baskets for himself and Curtis Oakley Jr. (South Euclid, Ohio) to give Bryant a 15-10 edge at the 13:10 mark.

Cumberlander drained a three on the Blue Devil's next possession to make it 15-13, but following an Austin Nehls miss, McLaughlin lifted his head and immediately looked to push the ball, finding Pettway on the fast break for a two-handed slam, plus the foul. He was able to convert the three-point play and give Bryant a 18-13 edge with 12:00 to play in the frame.

Pettway's second three-point play with 9:30 to go in the half gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the contest to that point, making it 23-17, giving the Bulldogs a needed cushion. Bryant would not trail at any point over the final 13:57 of the stanza, holding leads of five, six, and nine points multiple times.

A Zouzoua triple with 3:23 to go gave Bryant its first double-digit advantage at the 3:23 mark, making it 37-25. Cumberlander twice brought the Blue Devil deficit down to 10 points, and once down to nine with a trey, but a McLaughlin layup with 35 seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 43-32 halftime lead.

Three-straight points from Peel brought the Blue Devil deficit down to 10 to open up the second half, but the Bulldogs retaliated with seven-straight points over a one minute stretch to blossom the lead to 52-35, just 3:15 into the frame.

Four-straight points from Nehls brought the margin down to 11 points with 14:10 to go, but the Bulldogs were able to extend the lead to 17 points three more times, ultimately gaining a game-high 22-point edge after a Garvin dunk at the 3:01 mark. The Black and Gold lead would not dip below 15 points over the final 12:03 of regulation, as it surged to a second-straight win in Saturday's NEC opener at the Chace Athletic Center.  

Next for the Bulldogs is a three-game road trip that stretches six days, beginning in Teaneck, N.J. where Fairleigh Dickinson will play host. The contest on Monday is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. from the Rothman Center.