Bryant outmuscles St. Francis Brooklyn, 73-60

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) contributed a career night with 14 points and 15 rebounds and the Bulldogs had a stellar showing on the glass as the Bryant University men's basketball team defeated St. Francis Brooklyn, 71-60, Thursday night at the Chace Athletic Center.

Senior Juan Cardenas (Apartado, Colombia) added a game-high 18 for the Bulldogs, while Cardenas and senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) each added seven rebounds. Bryant's 48-28 rebounding advantage was its best in an NEC game since 2013.

GAME INFORMATION
Bryant 73, St. Francis Brooklyn 60
Records: Bryant (11-12, 3-7 NEC), St. Francis Brooklyn (10-13, 4-7 NEC)
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

KEY MOMENTS

• Bryant used a 17-2 run to erase an early nine-point deficit and took the lead with eight minutes to go in the half.
• A three-pointer from Cardenas beat the halftime buzzer and started a 19-2 run that put the Bulldogs in front 46-32 with 13 minutes to play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Terriers got out to a 13-4 lead before the Bulldogs answered with the next nine, including a pair of baskets from junior Mikail Simmons (Murphy, Texas), to tie the game at 13 with 10:10 remaining in the opening half.
• Bryant would take its first lead at 17-15 with 8:25 to go in the opening half on a Harding putback and lead by six on another second-chance effort from the sophomore forward.
• An 8-2 run for the Terriers tied the game at 23 with 4:09 to play in the half.
• A three from Cardenas beat the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 30 and the Bulldogs scored the first eight out of the break to lead 38-30 with 17:29 remaining on an alley-oop from redshirt-junior Ikenna Ndugba (Boston, Mass.) to redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.)
• The Terriers would get back within six on a series of occasions but the Bulldogs would hold off the visitors down the stretch, pulling away for the final 13-point margin.

STATS

• Cardenas shot 5-for-6 from the field and made both of Bryant's three-pointers while going 6-for-7 from the line.
• Harding tallied a career-high 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds, tied for sixth in a single game in Bryant's Division I era.
• Ndugba added nine points, three rebounds and four assists.
• Freshman Charles Pride (Syracuse, N.Y.) contributed three steals.
• Bryant shot 46.9% for the game while holding St. Francis to 33.3%.
• The Bulldogs' 48 rebounds were their most ever against an NEC opponent.

GAME NOTES

• Bryant improves to 8-12 all-time against St. Francis Brooklyn and 8-3 in Smithfield.
• Grant moved to sixth in Bryant's D1 era in career rebounds at 379 and Harding jumped to eighth at 368, passing Ndugba, who improved to 364.
• Elisias leapfrogged Cardenas for third on Bryant's D1 career blocks list with the 58^th and 59^th of his Bulldog career.
• Harding recorded his third double-double of the year (NVU-Lyndon, Drexel) and his ninth game
• The Bulldogs' two three-pointers were their fewest in a win since going 1-for-15 from distance in a 59-56 win over Robert Morris on Jan. 21, 2017.
• Bryant's victory Thursday, its 11^th of the season, surpassed last year's win total.

UP NEXT
Bryant plays its first of two games in eight days against Central Connecticut when the Bulldogs host the Blue Devils Saturday at 4 p.m. Tickets are available by clicking HERE and the game can be seen on ESPN+. The 2004-05 Bryant team that advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game will be honored at halftime.

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

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