Buzzer beater sinks Bulldogs at Maine

ORONO, Maine – Kristians Feierbergs' putback as time expired lifted the University of Maine to a 66-64 victory over the Bryant University men's basketball team on Tuesday night in Orono.

With the loss, the Bulldogs finish the regular season 17-12 overall and 8-8 in the America East. Bryant finished tied for fourth with UMBC and Binghamton and will be seeded sixth in the Jersey Mike's Men's #AEHoops Playoffs. The Bulldogs will face No. 3 seed New Hampshire on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

On Tuesday, Earl Timberlake posted 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Sherif Gross-Bullock and Antwan Walker each scored the 1,000^th point of their career. SGB finished with 18, while Walker 12 points and nine boards.

Game Information
Maine 66, Bryant 64
Records: Bryant 17-12, 8-8 AE | Maine 13-16, 7-9 AE
Location: The Pit (Orono, Maine)
Attendance: 1,200

Key Moments

• Maine had a three-point field goal rim out but Feierbergs was able to corral the rebound and put it back up and in as the clock hit zero.

How it Happened

• Bryant was able to grab an early 7-5 lead behind five points from Gross-Bullock. He tied the game with a three from the top and then finished at the rim.
• The Black Bears, however, were able to grab a 16-9 lead at the under-12. Bryant was just 4-of-17 from the field and 1-of-9 from three to start.
• Bryant got back into the game with a 5-2 run over the next four minutes. Walker helped the run with a deep three from the right wing.
• The Black Bears would push their lead ot nine, 25-16, before the Bulldogs rallied to tie it with a 9-0 run.
• SGB canned a pair of free throws to start the run, Timberlake finished at the rim and SGB recovered his own miss to make it a three-point game. After a stop, Timberlake drilled a step-back three from the right to tie the game at 25-25.
• The Black Bears would eventually take a 32-29  lead with under a minute to go. Out of a Bryant timeout, Gross-Bullock drove to the basket and hit a floater ah la Syracuse to beat the horn. The basket gave Gross-Bullock 1,000 points for his career.
• The second half started with back-and-forth action at both ends of the floor. Maine would push its lead to four on several occasions early but Timberlake was able to tie the game at 41-41 with 15:12 left.
• Layups from Brelsford and Timberlake would keep the game knotted at 47-47 at the under-12.
• Maine would respond with a six-point run to take a 54-48 lead with 9:48 to play.
• Walker then scorched the twine with a corner three to pull Bryant within three at the 8:00 mark.
• Timberlake then got the Bulldogs within a point as he knocked down a triple from the top with 6:29 to play.
• Kellen Tynes answered with a three late in the shot clock to make it 58-44.
• The Black Bears led 60-56 with 3:25 left.
• Bryant would pull to 64-62 on a Timberlake layup with 39 seconds left and then forced a Maine turnover at midcourt. Cramer would finish with a slam in transition, tying the game with 22 seconds left.
• The Black Bears then went down the court and Ja'Shonte Wright-Mcleish's three was off the mark. Feierbergs was able to grab the rebound and put it back up in one motion to win it.

Stats

• Bryant finished 27-of-67 (40.3 percent) from the field, 5-of-22 (22.7 percent) from three and 5-of-10 (.500) from the line.
• The Bulldogs held a 39-35 advantage on the glass.
• Every Bryant player that saw time picked up a steal.
• Timberlake led Bryant with a double-double, finishing with 20 and 10. He was 9-of-19 from the field and 2-of-5 from three.
• Gross-Bullock was 6-of-15 from the field to finish with 18 points. He added three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Walker finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and a block.  

Game Notes

• Bryant and Maine split their season series.
• Bryant dropped four of its final five games to close out the regular season.
• Bryant finished its first regular season in the America East at 8-8.
• Bryant will be the No. 6 seed in the America East playoffs, taking on No. 3 seed UNH on March 4.
• Gross-Bullock finished the year with an America East-leading 17.6 ppg.
• Gross-Bullock posted his 24^th double-digit scoring effort of the season and the 46^th of his career.
• Gross-Bullock surpassing 1,000 career points with a first-half buzzer beater. He now has 1,005 points in 87 career games.
• Walker surpassed 1,000 career points with a second-half three. He now has 1,003 career points in 130 career games.
• Timberlake's double-double was his team-leading ninth of the year.
• Timberlake posted 20 points for the third time this season.
• Timberlake now has 181 defensive rebounds this season, the second-most in a single season in DI program history.

Up Next
Sixth-seeded Bryant will travel to third-seeded New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon for the quarterfinals of the Jersey Mike's Men's #AEHoops Playoffs. Tip is set for 1:00 p.m.