Strong defense and hot 3-point shooting guides Bulldogs to 65-54 win over Blue Devils

NEW BRITAIN, CONN. – In a game that saw six separate runs that were at least 8-0 or better, the Bryant University men's basketball turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point edge thanks to a 12-0 stretch in the final six minutes of the second half to take control and defeat Northeast Conference foe Central Connecticut on national television, 65-54, Wednesday night.

Sophomore Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) tallied his 12th 20-point game of the season with a game-best 24 on 8-of-18 shooting and three triples. Sophomore Taylor McHugh (Centreville, Va.) had his finest outing as a Bulldog (7-15, 4-5 NEC) with a career-high 12 points behind three treys, while handing out six helpers and snaring four rebounds. Junior Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) netted 15 points thanks to three triples of his own and a 6-for-6 effort from the foul line.

The Blue Devils (3-17, 1-8) were led by Khalen Cumberlander's 16 points, 14 coming in the first half. Mustafa Jones netted 13 and grabbed seven rebounds and Tidell Pierre tallied six points a contest-high 14 rebounds in the loss. The Blue Devils were held to just 33 percent from the field (22-66) and 20 percent from deep (4-20), as they went 0-for-11 from distance in the second half.

The Bulldogs added to an 8-0 run to close out first half with a Kostur triple to begin the second, as it was the team's third trifecta of the stretch, giving it a 34-29 lead. The hosts responded with their own 11-0 run capped off by a Jones layup to regain the lead, 40-34, at the 14:08 mark.

Bryant then answered with a 12-0 run to take its own six-point advantage, 46-40, as Zouzoua and McHugh hit two of the team's 11 treys on consecutive possessions. A Cumberlander jumper and Jones slam got the Blue Devils back in rhythm immediately after, as Kevin Seymour scored the final two baskets during an 8-0 run to give them the lead, 48-46, with 7:11 to play.

After 1:13 of no scoring, Zouzoua split two defenders on the perimeter, slashed to the rim and laid it in as he got fouled. He converted the three-point play then proceeded to knock down his third trifecta to fuel a 12-0 run over a span of 6:03 to give the Bulldogs complete control, 58-48. Bryant hit seven free throws down the stretch and limited Central to a mere 2-for-12 from the field over the final seven minutes to aid in the separation.     

Having just notched his 1000th career point in the game prior, Cumberlander got the scoring started with a ferocious one-handed slam on a fastbreak, then drained a triple to give the hosts a 5-0 lead. The advantage got up to nine twice over the first seven minutes, as Bryant went just 2-for-8 from the floor.

Trailing, 14-5, the Bulldogs tripled their three-point field goal total from the previous outing in just two minutes, as Kostur and Zouzoua combined for three-consecutive treys to power a 10-0 run, giving the Bulldogs their first lead, 15-14, at the 10:30 mark. The Blue Devils regained the edge just two minutes later but could not extend the edge to more than three over the next six minutes, until Harrison Kay splashed in a triple to make it 26-20.

Freshman Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) and Cumberlander exchanged threes, then the former hit his second of the half to initiate an 8-0 run over the final 1:32 capped off by McHugh's second deep ball, giving the visitors a 31-29 halftime advantage.

The Bulldogs return home and will remain in the national spotlight when they host Fairleigh Dickinson Saturday at 12:00 p.m. on MSG+/Fox College Sports and Cox.