Three Bulldogs score in double-figures in a 74-57 loss to the Pioneers Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Tied, 29-29, at halftime, the Bryant University men's basketball team was outscored, 45-28, in the second half and suffered a 10th-straight Northeast Conference defeat, falling to Sacred Heart, 74-57, Thursday night in Smithfield.

Freshman Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) paced the Bulldogs (7-21, 4-11 NEC) with 14 points to go along with five boards. Fellow frosh Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.) tallied 12 points and five caroms, while sophomore Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) netted 11 and corralled a season-best seven rebounds.

Three Pioneers (10-16, 9-6) charted double-doubles in the win, led by a game-best 27 points from Cane Broome, who also had 10 rebounds. Tevin Falzon poured in 18 points and pulled down 18 boards, and Quincy McKnight statted 12 points and 11 caroms.

The Bulldogs and Pioneers shot similar percentages from both the floor and long range. The hosts shot 35.6 percent from the field (21-59) and 6.3 percent from distance (1-16). The visitors shot at a .067 clip from beyond the arc (1-15) and just 41.3 percent from the floor, but they attempted 16 more shots than the Bulldogs and had 24 second-chance points thanks to 21 offensive boards.

The Bulldogs jumped out to an 8-2 lead three minutes into the contest, as Pettway scored/assisted on six of those points. Falzon ignited, as well as capped off an 8-0 Pioneer run over the ensuing three minutes to give the visitors their first lead of the game, 10-8, at the 13:13 mark of the first half.  

A 3-point play from senior Shane McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) gave Bryant an 11-10 lead with 11:58 to play in the stanza, and it was the first of five lead changes over the next 3:40. The fifth and final stalemate alteration came on a Pettway layup, which started a 7-0 Bulldog run that was capped off by a Zouzoua fastbreak layup to make it 20-14 with seven minutes to play.

The Pioneers would not be down for long, as they utilized a 6-0 run to tie things up, 20-20, with just over four minutes remaining in the half. Both sides attained three-point advantages before the half came to a close, but neither squad created any more separation and both went into their locker rooms with the score knotted up, 29-29.

Sacred Heart immediately pulled away in the second half behind a 13-0 stretch to give it a commanding 44-31 lead at the 15:48 mark. Falzon and Broome combined for 11 points during the span and Sean Hoehn added a basket to complete the run.

The margin dipped no lower than 10 points and got as high as 14 over the next five minutes, before a Pettway tipin brought the Bulldogs to within single digits, 50-42, with 11:35 to go.

It was the first of three-straight baskets for Pettway in the heart of 14-5 host run, capped off by a high-arcing McLaughlin jumper to make it 55-50 with 7:25 remaining in the second.

The Bulldogs got no closer from there, as Broome scored seven points over a 1:42 span to facilitate a 15-2 Pioneer run over the ensuing five minutes of action. It exploded the SHU lead to 70-52 and closed the door on a potential late Bulldog run, as they dropped their 10th game in a row.

The Black and Gold will play the final game of the season in Smithfield this Saturday when it takes on Mount St. Mary's. The senior day contest is set to tip off at 4:00 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center.