Men's Basketball Unable to Keep Pace in Second Half at Bryant, Falls 76-64

The Central Connecticut men's basketball team fell to Bryant, 76-64, on Friday at the Chace Athletics Center in Northeast Conference action. Central used a 10-0 run to tie the game late in the first half, but the Bulldogs built a double-digit lead early in the second half to take the lead for good.

Central slips to 2-7 overall and 2-4 in NEC play, while Bryant improves to 9-2 overall and 5-1 in the NEC

CCSU tied the game late in the first half at 32-32, but Bryant would respond with 12 straight points across both periods to build all the margin it would need. Central was unable to get going from three-point range to make a comeback as it started the second half just 2-of-12 from deep.

Junior Zach Newkirk led CCSU with a career-high 17 points, while adding three assists and two rebounds. Junior Karrington Wallace posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Greg Outlaw added 12 points and four rebounds. 

CCSU shot 24-of-60 (.400) from the field, but was just 7-of-26 (.269) from three-point range. The Blue Devils were 9-of-13 (.692) at the foul line and forced 15 Bryant turnovers, but were outrebounded, 40-32.

Peter Kiss had a game-high 27 points, along with seven rebounds and four steals for Bryant. The Bulldogs shot 30-of-64 (.469) overall and were 9-of-29 (.310) from three-point range. Bryant was 7-of-7 from the foul line.

GAME INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 64, Bryant 76
Records: CCSU (2-7, 2-4 NEC), BRY (9-2, 5-1 NEC)
Location: Chace Athletics Center | Smithfield, RI

KEY MOMENTS

• Junior Zach Newkirk scored the first seven points for Central, including a pair of three-pointers, to build an early 7-3 lead. The Bulldogs defense responded by holding CCSU scoreless for nearly five minutes and scoring 13 unanswered points to build a 16-7 lead at the 13:39 mark.
• The Blue Devils would run off 10 unanswered points and hold Bryant scoreless for over four minutes to get within 24-23 following a takeaway and layup by junior Nigel Scantlebury. A Bulldogs dunk would end their scoring drought, but they were assessed a technical. Newkirk would hit both foul shots to match his career scoring high and get CCSU withing 26-25.
• Central would erase a five-point deficit to tie the game at 32-32 following a three-pointer by sophomore Greg Outlaw and a layup by junior Karrington Wallace. Bryant would regroup with five straight points to close the period and take a 37-32 lead into the intermission.
• Bryant came out and scored the first seven points of the second half. The 12-0 run spanning both halves stretched the Bulldogs lead to 44-32. Central would snap the spurt with a layup by sophomore Xavier Wilson, but Bryant ran off six straight points and forced a CCSU timeout following a Luis Hurtado trifecta to make it 50-34.
• The Blue Devils would use a 7-0 run, capped off by a Newkirk dunk to get within 61-50 with 9:00 to play. However, the Blue Devils would be unable to cut the deficit to any closer.

NUMBER TO KNOW

13 - Central finished with fewer than 16 assists as a team for the first time in five games. 

NOTES

• Bryant now leads the all-time series 20-18. The Bulldogs earned a season sweep of the series for the first time since 2016-17.
• The teams combined to go 16-of-20 from the foul line. Bryant went 7-for-7 after going 15-of-20 at the line on Thursday.
• Newkirk, who scored a career-high 11 points on Thursday, surpassed that total with 13 points in the opening half. He was 5-of-9 from the field in the game.
• Wallace matched a career-high with 10 rebounds and went 5-of-8 from the field.
• Scantlebury had 6 assists for CCSU. He has six games of at least 5 assists, including two in a row.
• The Blue Devils became just the second opponent on the year to hold Bryant under 80 points.

UP NEXT

Central returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 14, when it travels to Sacred Heart for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.