Bryant wins first-ever NEC Championship; Headed to March Madness

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Peter Kiss scored 34 points and Charles Pride had a double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds as the top-seeded Bryant University men's basketball team won its first-ever Northeast Conference Championship with a 70-43 victory over second-seeded Wager on Tuesday night.

Bryant made history on Tuesday, earning the NEC's automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships. Bryant will learn its tournament fate during the Selection Show on Sunday, March 13.

Kiss, the NEC Tournament MVP electrified a soldout Chace Athletic Center with his NCAA-best 10th 30-point game of the year. He scored 34 points and added six rebounds, five steals and three assists. Pride posted his 10th double-double of the year, tying his career-high with 17 boards. Hall Elisias blocked eight shots. Kiss, Pride and Elisias were all named to the NEC All-Tournament Team.

Bryant pulled ahead with a 25-2 run in the first half and never looked back.

Game Information
Bryant 70, Wagner 43
Records: Bryant 22-9 | Wagner 21-6
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Attendance: 2,650

Key Moments

• Kiss got the crowd going with a stepback three and then a steal and dunk to make it 15-4 and send the crowd into an uproar.

How it Happened

• Wagner scored the first two points on Tuesday but the Bulldogs answered with a 25-2 run.
• Bryant went 11-for-16 from the field, with Kiss pouring in 12.
• Kiss hit a pullup to make it 9-2 and then turned a steal at midcourt into a two-handed flush to make it 15-4.
• Back-to-back threes from Tyler Brelsford and Kiss pushed the advantage to 23-4 with 9:57 to go in the opening half.
• Elisias then blocked a shot at one end and then finished on the other end to make it 29-6.
• A three from Kiss and a reverse dunk from Kiss pushed Bryant's lead to 30, 36-6, with 4:44 to go.
• Bryant would lead 38-12 at the break.
• It was a slow start for Bryant out of the break as it went 2-for-11 to start. Pride hit a pullup three.
• Bryant would pick up the win despite making just 10-of-29 from the field in the second half.

Stats

• Bryant finished the game 26-of-55 (47.3 percent) from the field, 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) from three and 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) from the line.
• Bryant outrebounded Wagner, 45-29. The Bulldogs also finished with 21 fast break points.
• Kiss finished with 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting. He made 4-of-5 from three and added six rebounds, five steals and three assists.
• Pride posted a double-double with 13 points and 17 rebounds.
• Elisias had just four points but blocked eight shots.
• Luis Hurtado Jr., Adham Eleeda and Tyler Brelsford all had five points, while Greg Calixte added four.

Game Notes

• Bryant claims its first-ever NEC Championship with the victory.
• Bryant finished the year 14-1 at home. The Bulldogs are 24-2 at home the last two years.
• The announced crowd of 2,650 was a sellout. It is the fourth-straight game the Chace has sold out.
• Kiss posted his 45th double-figure scoring game in 48 outings as a Bulldog.
• Kiss leads the nation in scoring with 25.1 points per game.
• Kiss now has 652 points this season, the most in a season in DI program history.
• The 652 points are also the fifth-most in program history. They are the most since John Williams scored 682 points in 2004-05.
• Pride posted his 10th double-double of the year and the 16th of his career.
• Pride scored in double figures for the 54th time in his career.
• Pride now has 267 rebounds this season, tied for the second-most in DI program history.
• Pride now has 1,096 career points.
• Kiss and Pride continue to be the nation's highest-scoring duo, averaging 43.1 points per game.
• Hurtado now has 116 assists, the eighth-most in DI program history.
• Elisias tied his career-high with eight blocks and now has 207 in his Bryant career.     

Up Next
Bryant will find out its NCAA Tournament fate during Sunday's NCAA Selection Show.