Elisias' career-high 25 lifts Bryant over CCSU Wednesday night

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Hall Elisias scored a career-high 25 points as the Bryant University men's basketball team opened Northeast Conference play with a 80-76 victory over Centra Connecticut on Wednesday night at Detrick Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs, who were playing for the first time in 18 days, picked up their first win in New Britain since Jan. 25, 2017. Elisias led the way on Wednesday, finishing 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. He completed the double-double with 10 rebounds and added five blocks.

Adham Eleeda hit five threes to finish with 15 points, while Peter Kiss had 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Charles Pride picked up a double-double with 11 points, 12 boards and five assists and Chris Childs scored all nine of his points in the second half.

Game Information
Bryant 80, Central Connecticut 76
Records: Bryant 5-7, 1-0 NEC | Central Connecticut 3-10, 0-1 NEC
Location: Detrick Gymnasium (New Britain, Conn.)
Attendance: 1,650

Key Moments

• Leading 32-31 with 3:49 left in the first half, Elisias started a 12-0 run with a layup, eventually scoring 10 points in the spurt.          

How it Happened

• Eleeda single-handedly shook any rust the Bulldogs might have after an 18-day layoff, drilling a trio of threes in the first 3:30 to make it 9-1 early.
• Threes from Kiss and Erickson Bans followed and Greg Calixte sent the game into the under-12 media with a strong finish inside.
• Kiss then pushed the lead to 13, 28-15, with 7:09 remaining.
• The Blue Devils shot themselves back in the game, making four threes while running off a 14-2 run to make it 30-29 with 4:47 left.
• Elisias spurred a late Bryant run, however, scoring six points in an 8-0 run. After Kiss finished a Pride miss with a two-handed slam, Elisias finished a lob from Pride to make it 40-31 at the break.    
• Elisias made it a 12-0 run with the first four points of the second half. He threw down a Kiss lob to start the half and then finished inside to make it 44-31.
• The Blue Devils, however, would run off a 14-5 run to make it a four-point game, 49-45, with 15:52 left.
• Four free throws, two on a shooting foul and two on a technical, made it a 10-point game a minute later.
• CCSU wouldn't go away, making it a one possession game with a 9-0 run. Pride stunted the run with a driving finish off the glass and completed the three-point play to make it 61-56 with 8:05 remaining.
• The Blue Devils continued to make things interesting, staying within a possession for the most of the final two minutes. Elisias and Pride made three free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Stats

• Bryant finished the game 28-of-62 (45.2 percent) from the field, 7-of-25 (28.0 percent) from three and 17-of-27 (63.0 percent) from the line.
• Bryant outrebounded CCSU, 46-37.
• Elisias posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. He made 9-of-11 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws. Elisias also blocked five shots.
• Pride had his own double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He chipped in five assists.
• Kiss scored 12 points, grabbed eight boards and tied Pride with five assists. He also had two blocks.
• Eleeda hit five threes and finished with 15 points.
• Childs added nine points and four rebounds.  

Game Notes

• Bryant is now 15-11 in 26 Division I meetings with CCSU. The Bulldogs also own a 21-18 lead in the all-time series and have won three-straight in the series.
• The win was Jared Grasso's first as a head coach in New Britain and Bryant's first at Detrick Gymnasium since Jan. 25, 2017.
• Wednesday's 80 points are the most by the Bulldogs against a Division I opponent this year.
• Elisias set a career-high with 25 points, surpassing his previous high of 22.
• The double-double is his first this season and the fifth of his Bryant career.
• Elisias now has 399 rebounds, jumping into seventh place in DI program history.
• Elisias also surpassed 200 blocks for his collegiate career. Wednesday marked his eighth game of 3+ blocks this year and the 31st of his Bryant career.
• Pride posted his team-leading fourth double-double of the year and the 10th of his career.
• With 11 points, Pride became just the 14th player in DI program history with 700 career points. He has 707.
• With 12 rebounds, Pride now has 390 in his career.
• Eleeda has now scored in double-figures in three-straight games. He has hit at least four threes in all three contests and leads Bryant with 2.75 3pFG/game.
• Kiss scored in double-figures for the 28th time in 31 games as a Bulldog.

Up Next
Bryant closes out 2021 at home, hosting Sacred Heart at the Chace Athletic Center on New Year's Eve. Tip is set for 1:00 p.m.