Garvin and Ware combine for 44 points in the Bulldogs 72-71 loss to the Pioneers, Saturday in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CONN. – After trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Bryant University men's basketball team captured a one point lead with 27 seconds to play, but Sacred Heart edged out the visitors in the final 11 seconds, winning the close Northeast Conference battle, 72-71, Saturday afternoon in Fairfield. 

Sophomore Hunter Ware (Powder Springs, Ga.) sparked the Bulldogs' (7-16, 4-6 NEC) 16-3 run that initiated at the 4:24 mark of the second half, netting seven points in a 12 second span by draining two of his four buckets from downtown. Junior Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) pulled the Bulldogs within five, 66-61, after completing a three-point play at the line with 3:01 to go in the contest.

Down two possessions with under a minute to play, Ware buried a three in front of Bryant's bench, despite being fouled. The second-year guard cut the Bulldogs' deficit to one, 69-68, after converting the four-point play with 34 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs applied full-court pressure after the made free throw, forcing the Pioneers into a turnover under their own basket, where the Black and Gold regained possession with 30 seconds remaining. Ware inbounded the ball to freshmen Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.), who fed it back to the guard in the corner for the made trey to put Bryant on top, 71-69, with 27 seconds on the clock. The go-ahead bucket marked Bryant's first lead since the 12:52 mark of the first half.

On the Pioneers' (6-15, 5-5) ensuing possession, sophomore Cane Broome rattled in a deep three to regain the lead for the hosts, 72-71, leaving the Bulldogs with 11 seconds to respond. Senior Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.), who has hit big shots in the waning seconds of multiple of games this season, took his man one-on-one, driving through the paint to the basket, before putting up a contested layup that hit off the rim and bounced into the hands of a defender, as the clock expired. The potential game winner that fell short handed the Bulldogs a fifth-straight defeat. 

Garvin led the Bulldogs offensively, charting his fourth double-double of the season and 13th of his career off a career-high 25 points and game-high 14 rebounds. Ware finished with 19 points, shooting 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from the field and 40 percent from long range (4-for-10). Ware's efforts helped the Bulldogs shoot 45.5 percent from beyond the arc and 38.9 percent from the floor on the game.

McLaughlin finished with nine points, while junior Justin Brickman (San Antonio, Texas) added a career-high eight off the bench in his career-best 26 minutes on the court. Pettway added seven points and eight rebounds for the Bulldogs. The Black and Gold forced the Pioneers into 15 turnovers, including eight on steals, led by Pettway and Ware, who  grabbed a pair.

Three Pioneers finished in double-figure scoring, including the NEC's top point-getter in Broome, who led the team with 17 points. The sophomore shot 6-for-19 from the floor and 2-for-8 from 3-point land. Senior Tevin Falzon recorded a double-double for Sacred Heart, posting 15 points and 13 rebounds. The forward went a perfect 8-for-8 from the line, while the team finished 73.9 percent from the chalk. Freshman Sean Hoehn added 14 points for the Pioneers, shooting 5-for-8 (62.5) from the floor, while notching two assists and a pair of steals in his 34 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Thursday, Feb. 4, when they travel to Loretto, Pa., taking on Saint Francis U. at 7 p.m. Bryant fell to the Red Flash, 71-65, on Jan. 21 in Smithfield.