Bryant, Liberty square off in Hall of Fame Classic Saturday in Springfield

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team heads to the birthplace of basketball on Saturday, December 17, to face Liberty in the Hall of Fame Classic at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Tip is set for 12:30 p.m.

Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+. For more information on the Hall of Fame Classic, click here.  

The Particulars
Opponent: Liberty
Location: MassMutual Center (Springfield, Mass.)
Date and Time: Saturday, Dec. 17 - 12:32 PM EST 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Video: ESPN+
Game Notes: Bryant | Liberty
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | #12Seven4 | #AEMBB

THE SERIES
Bryant and Liberty will be meeting for the first time in program history. Both teams enter the week ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Bryant is ranked No. 17, while Liberty, the preseason favorite in the ASUN, is ranked No. 20. Bryant and Liberty have met in other sports, most notably in football in 2014 when both teams were ranked in the FCS Top 25. The No. 24 Flames earned a 38-21 victory over the No. 25 Bulldogs. 

BRYANT MATCHES NON-CONFERENCE WIN TOTAL
Bryant won its eighth non-conference game of the season on Sunday at Manhattan, matching the 2013-14 and 2019-20 teams for the most non-conference wins in DI program history. The Bulldogs have two more chances to break the record, facing Liberty on Saturday and Towson next Thursday, Dec. 22.

TIMBERLAKE RETURNS WITH CAREER HIGH
Earl Timberlake returned to the lineup on Sunday at Manhattan and posted a career-high 23 points in 26 minutes of action. He added 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Timberlake's outing marked his first-career 20-point outing.     

FIVE MORE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Bryant is 8-3 on the year following Sunday's 104-97 overtime victory over Manhattan. It marked the first overtime victory for the Bulldogs since January of 2017.   
2. Charles Pride enters the week as the leading scorer in the America East with 16.4 points per game.   
3. Sherif Gross-Bullock ranks second in the America East in scoring at 16.2 ppg. He has scored 20+ points in each of his last two outings. Gross-Bullock also ranks third in assists.
4. Antwan Walker continues to shine and is averaging 15.3 ppg and 7.6 rpg over his last nine. He contributed a season-high 20 points at Manhattan, marking his first 20-point game since February 2021.
5. Tyler Brelsford has seen increased minutes the last three games and has responded with 9.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 4.0 apg. He grabbed a career-high eight rebounds on Sunday at Manhattan.                        

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