Bulldogs fall to Xavier on Friday afternoon

CINCINNATI – The Bryant University men's basketball team fell to Xavier, 100-75, on Friday afternoon at the Cintas Center.

With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 3-4 overall on the season. The Bulldogs are back in action on Monday night when they host Springfield College at the Chace Athletic Center.

Sherif Gross-Bullock led three Bulldogs in double figures with 19, while Rafael Pinzon added 18 and Doug Edert chipped in 13. Connor Withers enjoyed a strong all-around game, finishing with seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Game Information
Xavier 100, Bryant 75
Records: Bryant 3-4 | Xavier 4-2
Location: Cintas Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Attendance: 10,034

Key Moments

• The Musketeers broke open a close game with a 15-2 run late in the first half.

How it Happened

• Bryant was able to keep the game close early despite a slow start offensively. The Bulldogs started just 5-of-16 from the field and didn't make a field goal for over three minutes but a Pinzon three made it a four-point game, 12-16, at the under-12.
• After a scintillating start, Bryant's defense was able to settle in, holding Xavier without a field goal for nearly four minutes.
• Xavier, however, made three-straight from the field to open an 11-point lead, 15-26, and force a Bryant timeout with 9:24 left in the first half.
• The Musketeers then extended their lead to 14, 18-32, with back-to-back threes heading into the under-8 media.
• Xavier's push was part of a larger 15-2 run that pushed the lead to 21, 20-41, at the under-4 media.
• The Musketeers used a strong shooting performance, hitting 19-of-34 from the field and 6-of-12 from three.
• Xavier would hold Bryant without a field goal for the final 3:00 of the first half, taking a 49-25 lead to the locker room.
• Gross-Bullock came out strong to start the second half, canning a pair of threes to help Bryant start 5-of-10 from the field.
• Daniel Rivera also started well, hitting a pair of mid-range jumpers.
• The Bulldogs would shoot 19-of-32 from the field but turned the ball over 10 times in the second half.
• Xavier continue its strong shooting as well, making 19-of-34 from the field.
• Edert provided a second-half spark, finishing at the rim twice, drilling a pair of threes and canning three free throws.

Stats

• Bryant finished the game 29-of-69 (42.0 percent) from the field, 11-of-34 (32.4 percent) from three and 6-of-8 (75.0 percent) from the line.
• Xavier held a 42-30 edge in rebounds.
• The Musketeers finished 56 percent from the field and 39 percent from three.
• Bryant posted a season-high 24 assists. The mark is one shy of the DI single-game program record.
• Gross-Bullock finished with 19 points and three assists in 34 minutes. He was 7-of-18 from the field.
• Pinzon posted 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He was 4-of-8 from three.
• Withers collected seven points, eight assists and five steals.
• Edert came off the bench to score 13 second-half points. He was 2-of-3 from three.
• Earl Timberlake finished with six points, seven rebounds and five assists.  

Game Notes

• Bryant and Xavier were meeting for the first time in program history.
• Xavier marked Bryant's third-straight opponent that competed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament (FAU, Howard and Xavier).
• Gross-Bullock scored in double figures for the sixth time this year and the 52^nd time in his career.
• Gross-Bullock has hit at least four three-point field goals in five of the first seven games.
• Timberlake finished with four or more assists for the fifth time in seven games this season.
• Pinzon finished in double figures for the fifth time this season and the 12^th time in his career.
• Pinzon also set a career high with four three-point field goals.  
• Withers set a new career high with five steals. His previous high was four set on November 10, 2019 at Ohio State.
• Withers also set a career high with eight assists. His previous high was six accomplished on November 16, 2022 against Sacred Heart.
• Edert posted his second double-figure scoring game of the season and the 40^th of his career.
• Edert now has 924 career points.

Up Next
Bryant returns to the Chace Athletic Center on Monday for Ugly Sweater Night against Springfield College. Tip is set for 7:02 p.m.