Bryant clashes with Wagner Thursday on ESPN+
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The Bryant University men's basketball team begins a stretch of four straight road games when the Bulldogs face Wagner Thursday night on ESPN+.
The Particulars
Opponent: Wagner
Location: Spiro Sports Center (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Date and Time: Thursday, Jan. 31 – 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+ (Paul Dottino, Terry O'Connor)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #NECMBB
SCOUTING THE SEAHAWKS
Wagner is 9-10 on the year and even with Bryant in NEC play at 4-4. The Seahawks are 3-4 at home against Division I competition this season with victories over Hartford, Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson.
Romone Saunders leads the Seahawks in points (18.2), rebounds (7.1) and assists per game (3.7). Saunders ranks second in the NEC in scoring, fourth in rebounding, seventh in assists and first in free throw percentage (.882). Wagner is second in the NEC in scoring defense at 68.8 points per game.
THE SERIES
Bryant is 5-11 all-time against Wagner with the Seahawks having won the last three meetings. Bryant is 2-6 at the Spiro Sports Center.
The Seahawks took both matchups last season, despite a 25-point, 12-rebound effort from Brandon Carroll (Bronx, N.Y.) in a nationally televised contest on Staten island.
LAST TIME OUT: FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 78, BRYANT 63
Junior SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) scored 18 points for the second consecutive game and freshman Joe Kasperzyk (New Haven, Conn.) added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench, but a Fairleigh Dickinson run late in the first half created separation for the Knights Saturday at the Chace Athletic Center.
SPEED LIMIT 70
Bryant is 7-0 this season when it holds its opponents under 70 points. The Bulldogs are 7-2 when they keep the game under 70 total possessions.
Wagner plays the slowest tempo in the NEC at an adjusted 64.6 possessions per game, per KenPom. The Seahawks rank 329th out of 353 Division I teams in tempo.
NOT BASHFUL FROM BEYOND THE ARC
Junior SaBastian Townes is 18-for-42 (.429) from three this year including game-winners against Dartmouth and Central Connecticut. Townes made a combined four three-pointers in his first two seasons.
Townes is 10-for-23 (.435) on three-pointers in NEC play, a percentage good for third in the conference.
THURSDAYS ARE MUST-SEE
Bryant has won its first three Thursday games of the year, defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's and Central Connecticut.
Both of the Bulldogs' meetings with the Seahawks this season will be on Thursdays as part of the NEC-TV package. Thursday's contest will be available on ESPN+, while the Feb. 21 meeting in Smithfield will air on CBS Sports Network.
DOUBLE PLAY
As of Tuesday, Bryant is the only team in the nation to have already doubled its win total from a year ago. The Bulldogs have also doubled their NEC victory total from last season.
THAT'S GONNA BE A NO FROM THIS DAWG
Junior Juan Cardenas (Medellin, Colombia) leads Bryant with 30 blocks on the year, good for second in the NEC. In just his 12th game, Cardenas rose to the top 10 in Bryant's Division I era in career blocks.
ORDERING A LIFT
Freshman Joe Kasperzyk has played some of his best basketball in the 10 games in which he has come off the bench, averaging 14.6 points per game. Kasperzyk scored a career-high 21 points at Mount St. Mary's and matched that total at Sacred Heart.
UP NEXT: CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
Bryant faces Central Connecticut for the second time in 10 days when the teams meet Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in New Britain. The Bulldogs won last Thursday's matchup 63-60 with a go-ahead three-pointer from junior SaBastian Townes with 7.4 seconds remaining and block by junior Juan Cardenas as time expired.
Tickets for home games at the Chace Athletic Center are available by clicking HERE or calling (401) 319-TIXX.
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