Timberlake's career-high 26 leads Bryant past UAlbany on Saturday

ALBANY, N.Y. – Earl Timberlake scored a career-high 26 points to lead the Bryant University men's basketball team to a 98-89 victory over UAlbany on Saturday night at the Broadview Center.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 12-7 overall and 4-0 in the America East. Bryant's 4-0 start is its best league start since it opened the 2012-13 NEC slate 6-0.

Timberlake dominated on Saturday night in Albany, setting a new career-high on 11-of-18 shooting from the field. Daniel Rivera chipped in one of the best all-around games of his caree with 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists, five blocks and four steals. Sherif Gross-Bullock added 21 points, while Rafael Pinzon, Doug Edert and Miles Latimer combined for 20 points off the bench.

Saturday's matchup was a game of runs as Bryant opened the game with a 32-8 run before the Great Danes closed the half with a 29-13 run. The Black and Gold were able to fend off a late UAlbany rally, going 3-for-3 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line over the final 2:30 minutes.

Game Information
Bryant 98, UAlbany 89
Records: Bryant 12-7, 4-0 AE | UAlbany 10-9, 2-2 AE
Location: Broadview Center (Albany, N.Y.)
Attendance: 700

Key Moments

• Bryant opened the game with a 32-8 run and never looked back. The Bulldogs' lead was cut to five in the second half but eight-straight points from Connor Withers kept the Great Danes at bay.

How it Happened

• Bryant shot out of the gates on Saturday, opening up a 32-8 lead 11 minutes into the game.
• The Bulldogs made 13-of-23 from the field, while holding UAlbany to a 3-of-19 start. Bryant blocked five shots and forced eight turnovers.
• Gross-Bullock scored five of Bryant's first seven points, canning a three from the top to make it 7-2.
• The Great Danes were able to close it to 9-6 but the Black and Gold would outscore UAlbany 23-2 over the next 6:14 to opent he game up.
• Bryant made 10-of-15 from the field and held the Great Danes to just 1-of-13 shooting.
• Timberlake highlighted the run with a pair of one-handed slams and scored eight of Bryant's 23 points.
• Doug Edert and Miles Latimer added key trifecta's, with Latimer's wing three giving the Black and Gold a 32-8 lead with 9:13 left in the first half.
• The game got chippy in the middle stages of the first half. UAlbany used it to get back in the game with an 18-8 run to make it 40-26 at the under-4 media. The Great Danes made 7-of-10 from the field during the stretch.
• UAlbany would outscore Bryant 29-13 over the final 9:13 of the half, making it an eight-point game at the break. The Great Danes would make 10-of-18 from the field, while Bryant was 5-of-14 and turned the ball over five times.
• The Great Danes would pull within five, 51-46, five minutes into the second half thanks to a scoring burst from Sebastian Thomas. He finished in transition, knocked down a three and then canned two free throws to score seven straight points for UAlbany.
• Connor Withers would jolt life into the Bryant bench with a eight-straight points. He swished a pair of threes from in front of the Bryant bench and finished at the rim to give Bryant a 59-48 lead.
• Withers was able to jumpstart a 17-8 Bryant run that gave the Bulldogs a 14-point lead.
• Timberlake was the other key player in the run, slamming it home left handed off a dish from Rivera. Timberlake then dazzled down the lane and finished for his 20^th point of the night to make it 14-point game.
• The Great Danes, however, didn't go away. UAlbany would cut the Bryant lead to six, 78-72, with 5:03 to play.
• UAlbany kept it close thanks to Thomas as he finished through contact, finishing a three-point play, to make it a five-point game, 85-80, with 2:27 to play.
• Bryant was able to close the game out over the final 2:27, going 3-for-3 from the field and a perfect 7-of-8 from the line.

Stats

• Bryant finished 35-of-68 (51.5 percent) from the field, 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from three and 21-of-30 (70.0 percent) from the line.
• UAlbany held a 42-40 advantage on the glass.
• Bryant posted 12 blocks and 10 steals.
• Timberlake finished with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting. He added nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
• Gross-Bullock posted 21 points and five rebounds.
• Rivera finished 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. He added nine rebounds, five assists, five blocks and four steals.
• Pinzon collected 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. He added four rebounds and three assists.
• Withers chipped in nine points, three steals and three blocks.

Game Notes

• Bryant's victory evens the all-time series with UAlbany at 3-3. The Bulldogs have won all three meetings as America East members.
• Bryant is 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2012-13 when it started 6-0 in the NEC.
• The Bulldogs are the lone America East team to win three road games so far this season.
• Bryant has now won seven games away from home this season (6 road, 1 neutral).
• Gross-Bullock posted his sixth-straight 20-point effort. He now has nine 20-point games this season and 23 in his career. SGB posted his 61st career double-figure scoring game.
• Timberlake finished in double figures for the 16th time this year and the 43rd time in his career.
• Timberlake posted his first 20-point game of the season and the fourth of his career.
• Timberlake's 26 points are a new career high.
• Rivera set a career-high with four steals and tied his career high with five assists.
• Rivera's notched his 13^th double-figure scoring effort of the season.
• Pinzon finished in double figures for the 14^th time this season and the 21^st time in his career.

Up Next
Bryant wraps up its three-game road trip next Thursday (Jan. 25) at NJIT.