Bryant faces CCSU, honors 2004-05 team on Alumni Day
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team looks to string together back-to-back wins when the Bulldogs host Central Connecticut Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.
The Alumni Day meeting with the Blue Devils will include the 2004-05 team that appeared in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game unfurling a banner at halftime
The Particulars
Opponent: Central Connecticut
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Saturday, Feb. 8 – 4 p.m.
Tickets: Saturday | Halftime: 2004-05 Team Banner
Watch: ESPN+ (Paul Dottino, Terry O'Connor)
Live Stats: Sidearm Stats
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #NECMBB
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS
Central Connecticut is 2-22 on the year with wins over Connecticut College in December and Wagner three games ago. The Blue Devils have dropped their last 16 road contests, including games at Saint Francis U and Robert Morris last weekend.
Ian Krishnan made his season debut in CCSU's non-conference finale and is averaging 13.1 points per game in his 12 contests this season. The Blue Devils are shooting 40.6% from inside the three-point arc this season, which is the second-lowest rate in the nation.
THE SERIES
The Bulldogs and Blue Devils are meeting for the 35th time overall and the 22nd since Bryant moved to Division I in 2008-09. Bryant holds an 11-10 advantage in the D1 series, while the all-time record is even at 17 wins each.
The teams split the season series last year with the Bryant win coming on a key three-pointer from SaBastian Townes (Chesapeake, Va.) and block from Juan Cardenas (Apartado, Colombia) in the closing seconds to preserve a 63-60 January victory at the Chace.
LAST TIME OUT: BRYANT 73, ST. FRANCIS BROOKLYN 60
Bryant used a 25-for-31 effort at the free-throw line and a 14-point, 15-rebound performance from sophomore Patrick Harding (Fairfield, Conn.) to get back on track and surpass last season's win total with a Thursday victory in Smithfield. Cardenas added a game-high 18 points in the win.
FEELING INCLINED
Bryant's Thursday victory was its 11th of 2019-20, topping the 10-win record in 2018-19. The Bulldogs have increased their win total from three in 2017-18 to 10 last year to 11 and counting this season, marking the first time in Bryant's Division era that the program has improved on the previous year's win total in back-to-back seasons.
A win Saturday would match the Bulldogs' most in a season over the program's last five campaigns.
LESS THREE, MORE FREE
Bryant's Thursday win included season-highs in made free throws (25) and attempts (31). The Bulldogs made just two three-pointers in the victory - their lowest in a win since a 1-for-15 showing in a 59-56 win over Robert Morris in 2017.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) passed Dyami Starks Jan. 30 for second on Bryant's Division I career scoring list. Grant now stands at 1,716 points for his career, besting Starks' 1,691 in his three seasons in Black & Gold (2012-15).
The senior guard is approaching a pair of program records in his final February. Grant's 280 made three-pointers are one shy of Starks' career program record, while his 3,980 career minutes played place 161 back of Alex Francis for the most in Division I history.
JUAN HEATING UP
After a start to the season slowed by injury, Cardenas has scored 15 or more points four times in his last seven games. Cardenas tallied a career-high 26 points Jan. 15 at Merrimack and added 15 points vs. Long Island, 20 at Mount St. Mary's and 18 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn.
Cardenas also passed Vlad Kondratyev and Alex Francis and now stands fourth on Bryant's D1 career blocks list with 58.
PATRICK OF THE TRADE
Harding's 15 rebounds Thursday moved him to 368 for his Bulldog career and eighth in Bryant's Division I era. It marked the fourth performance of 15+ rebounds for Harding this season, matching the total by all other players in Bryant's 12-year Division I history.
Harding is averaging 9.1 rebounds per game in 2019-20 and ranks third in the NEC. He has collected 31.3% of potential defensive rebounds while on the floor this season, good for fifth nationally.
SO FRESH(MEN), SO CLEAN
Bryant's rookie trio of Charles Pride (Syracuse, N.Y.), Benson Lin (New Taipei City, Taiwan) and Michael Green III (Bronx, N.Y.) rank second, third and fourth on the team in scoring and have combined for 29 games of 10+ points and six NEC Rookies of the Week, matching the highest total in program history. Lin (Jan. 20) and Pride (Jan. 27) have won two of the last three awards.
65 AND OVER
Harding and redshirt-junior Hall Elisias (Valley Stream, N.Y.) are one of three sets of teammates nationally against Division I opponents both shooting 65% or better on two-pointers, per KenPom. Harding is shooting 65.6% and Elisias is at 65.0%, joining the duos of Obi Toppin and Trey Landers (Dayton) and Osasumwen Osaghae and Isaiah Banks (FIU).
AG RULING FROM BEYOND THE ARC
Grant was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List Jan. 9. Grant ranks third in the NEC at 17.3 points per game, has made 76 three-pointers on the year (good for ninth nationally), and has collected 20 or more points 12 times this season including games against Big Ten members Rutgers and Maryland. The Lou Henson Award is given to the nation's top mid-major player.
UP NEXT: SACRED HEART
Bryant renews acquaintances with Sacred Heart in front of a national television audience Thursday in Fairfield. The Bulldogs and Pioneers will tip off at 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
Tickets are Bryant's three remaining regular season home games – Feb. 8 vs. Central Connecticut, Feb. 18 vs. Merrimack and Feb. 23 vs. Sacred Heart – are available by clicking HERE.
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