Bulldogs downed by New Hampshire in overtime

DURHAM, N.H. – Senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) scored a season-high 29 points and helped the Bryant University men's basketball team erase a 14-point deficit to force overtime, but the Bulldogs dropped an 87-76 decision at New Hampshire Tuesday night.

Redshirt-junior Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) added a season-best 16 points for Bryant, while freshman Benson Lin (New Taipei City, Taiwan) chipped in with nine. There were 15 lead changes in the contest with the Wildcats leading by as many as 14 with 13 minutes remaining in the second half.

GAME INFORMATION
New Hampshire 87, Bryant 76 (OT)
Records: Bryant (4-4), New Hampshire (4-3)
Location: Lundholm Gymnasium (Durham, N.H.)

KEY MOMENTS

• The Bulldogs chipped away at a 14-point second half deficit, tying the game at 62 on runs of 9-0 and 20-6 capped off by a basket from Grant with 6:39 to play.
• Bryant forced a turnover with 1.1 seconds to go in a tie game, but the New Hampshire defense denied a Bulldog attempt at a final shot and the teams went to overtime.
• New Hampshire scored the first 13 points of the extra session to close out the contest.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Bryant led 12-8 before a 16-5 New Hampshire run put the Wildcats in front 24-17 with 9:08 to play in the opening half.
• The Wildcats would lead by 11 on three occasions late in the first half before heading into the locker room with a 39-31 advantage.
• A three-point play by Grant got Bryant back within four at 43-39 with 17:56 to play.
• A 7-0 New Hampshire run gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the night at 56-42 with 13:20 remaining.
• Bryant would respond with the next eight before later using a 9-0 run to even the game on Green's basket with 6:39 to go.
• Neither team would lead by more than three the remainder of regulation – a basket by freshman Michael Green III (Bronx, N.Y.) put Bryant in front 70-67 with 3:10 to play – and New Hampshire would outscore Bryant 7-4 in the time following the score by Green.
• A shot by Lin was off the mark with 29 seconds to play and New Hampshire set up for a final attempt to win in regulation. The Wildcats committed a travel with 1.1 seconds remaining and Bryant's full-court heave was snatched away as the buzzer sounded.
• New Hampshire scored the first four points of overtime and then added to it on a corner three to beat the shot clock after the Wildcat player corralled his mishandled dribble in the backcourt and fired the pass ahead, putting UNH ahead 81-74 with 2:16 to go in the extra frame.
• The Wildcats would extend their advantage to 13 with nine seconds remaining in overtime before Grant scored to end a 6:13 drought before the buzzer.

STATS

• Grant scored 29 points on 11-of-25 shooting with four three-pointers and added three assists, three steals and two blocks.
• Ndugba was 6-of-11 from the field and added three steals in 24 minutes before fouling out.
• Sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) collected nine rebounds, but the Bulldogs were outrebounded 59-38 in the contest.
• Bryant collected 12 steals off 22 New Hampshire turnovers. Five Bulldogs – Grant, Ndugba, Lin, junior Ayo Dada (Houston, Texas) and freshman Charles Pride (Syracuse, N.Y.) – had at least two.
• Redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.) notched three blocks, good for his third game of multiple blocks this season and 14 on the year.

GAME NOTES

• Grant recorded his 73^rd career game of 10 or more points and 29^th of 20 or more.
• Ndugba's three steals brought him to 110 for his career, good for third in Bryant's Division I era behind Grant (120) and Corey Maynard (116).
• Bryant drops to 4-4 all-time against New Hampshire and 7-10 against the America East.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return home to open December with a Monday night contest against Navy. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. contest are available HERE and the game can be seen on NEC Front Row. 

Bryant Men's Basketball 2019-20 season tickets are available by clicking HERE.

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