Bryant wraps up road trip Thursday night at NJIT

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's basketball team wraps up its road trip on Thursday night at NJIT. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Particulars
Opponent: NJIT
Location: WEC (Newark, N.J.)
Date and Time: Thursday, Jan. 25 - 7:00 PM EST 
Live Stats: Sidearm
Watch: ESPN+
Game Notes: Bryant | NJIT
Social Media: Facebook | X | Instagram | #AEMBB

THE SERIES
Bryant and NJIT square off in the first of two scheduled meetings this season. The Bulldogs won both games a season ago, including a 79-78 victory in Newark. Earl Timberlake shined in that victory, posting 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.          

YEAR TWO OF AMERICA EAST
Bryant is off to a 4-0 start in its second year as a member of the America East. It is the first time Bryant has started 4-0 in league play since the Bulldogs opened the 2012-13 season 6-0 in Northeast Conference play.    

NATIONAL RANKINGS
Bryant enters Saturday ranked first nationally with 6.7 blocks per game and 13th nationally in field goal percentage defense (39.0 percent). Bryant also ranks 32nd nationally in three-point field goals per game (9.5).   

GOOD GRIEF, REEF
Sherif Gross-Bullock became just the third player in DI program history to record 40 points in a game when he scored a career-high 41 at UMBC. The total is tied for the most in a single game this season in NCAA DI. SGB finished 16-of-24 from the field, joining Charles Pride (44) and Alex Francis (43) as the only three players to reach 40+. SGB has scored 20+ in each of his last six games, joining Alex Francis, Nisre Zouzoua and Peter Kiss as the only players in DI program history to accomplish that feat. 

FIVE MORE THINGS TO KNOW

1. SGB is averaging 26.6 ppg over his last six game and 26.8 in America East play. He has scored 20+ in each of his last six and enters Thursday ranked second in the America East with 19.6 ppg. SGB is averaging 3.3 3pFG per game, 11th nationally.   
2. Timberlake enters Thursday with one of the league's best overall stat lines, averaging 14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.5 bpg and 1.4 spg. He's one of just three players nationally averaging 12.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 4.5 apg, and is the only player to average at least 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.0 bpg. In fact, Timberlake is just the fourth player in the last 10 years to post that type of average. Timberlake scored a career-high 26 points at UAlbany last Saturday.    
3. Daniel Rivera posted 14 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, five assists and four steals at UAlbany. He is currently averaging 16.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 3.7 bpg in America East play. Rivera ranks 12th nationally with 2.42 blocks per game.   
4. Rafael Pinzon has scored in double figures in each of the last three games, entering Thursday with 12.5 ppg. Pinzon has four 20-point games on the year. 
5. Connor Withers scored eight of his nine points in 75 seconds at UAlbany. The eight-point spurt helped Bryant extend a five-point edge back to 11. Withers is averaging 8.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 bpg and 1.6 spg.                                

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