Bryant hosts NEC Championship Tuesday night on ESPN2

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The second-seeded Bryant University men's basketball team hosts fourth-seeded Mount St. Mary's in the 2021 Northeast Conference Championship Tuesday night at the Chace Athletic Center. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

The winner of Tuesday's championship will earn the league's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Bryant will be playing in its first-ever NEC Title game, while Mount St. Mary's will be making its eighth title-game appearance.

**The NEC announced it will not permit any spectators to attend the following NEC Championships: Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Basketball, Women's Bowling, Women's Volleyball, and Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving.**

The Particulars
Opponent: Mount St. Mary's
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Date and Time: Tuesday, Mar. 9 – 7 p.m. 
Watch: ESPN2 (Rich Hollenberg and Dan Dakich)
Live Stats: Sidearm
Game Notes: Bryant
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #KEB1 | #NECMBB

THE SERIES
Mount St. Mary's owns a 15-9 lead in the all-time series between the two programs. The Bulldogs and Mountaineers have met once before in the NEC Tournament, the 2013 NEC Quarterfinals. Playing in its first-ever NEC playoff game, the Bulldogs fell to the Mountaineers, 75-69.      

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Fourth-seeded Mount St. Mary's advanced to the NEC Championship game with a 66-60 victory over top-seeded Wagner College on Saturday. The Mountaineers received 14 points each from Damian Chong Qui and Nana Opoku. Chong Qui was an All-NEC First Team selection, while Opoku was chosen as the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.      

WHAT TO KNOW

• Bryant will be playing in its first-ever NEC Championship game. It will be Bryant's third championship game appearance ever and its first sincemat playing in the 1997 NE-10 Championship. 
• The Bulldogs improved to 10-0 at home with an 85-55 victory over Sacred Heart in the NEC Semifinals. The margin of victory matched the largest in NEC Semifinal game.
• Bryant's 10-0 start at home matches the 2006-07 team for the best home start in program history. That team finished 14-1 at home. The Bulldogs are one of 10 teams nationally that are unbeaten at home.
• Bryant played the NEC Semifinal game without starters Michael Green III and Chris Childs, and key reserve Nathaniel Stokes.   
• Head coach Jared Grasso is in his third season on the Bryant sidelines, having posted a 40-42 record. He's led the Bulldogs to a 30-22 record the last two seasons.
• Peter Kiss leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 17.1 per game and was fourth in the NEC with 17.7 ppg in league games. Kiss has scored 20+ points on 10 occasions, including 7-of-14 games against NEC opponents. 
• Michael Green III ranks seventh in the NEC in scoring, sixth in assists and 11th in free throw percentage. 
• Charles Pride has been one of the most improved players in the NEC, entering the week averaging 12.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 2.5 apg. Pride leads the Bulldogs with five double-doubles.  
• Chris Childs is one of the nation's top three-point shooters, ranking 18th nationally in 3FG per game. He's made 5+ 3s in game four times.
• Hall Elisias ranks 15th nationally in blocks per game (2.6) and leads the NEC in field goal percentage (.663). Elisias ranks 14th nationally in effective field goal percentage and 34th nationally in block percentage. 
• Luis Hurtado Jr. recorded his third double-digit scoring effort of the season in the NEC Semifinal. He also recorded his sixth game of 5+ assists this season. 

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