Score: Bryant 98, UAlbany 89
 
Location: Broadview Center in Albany, N.Y.

Records: UAlbany (10-9, 2-2 America East) | Bryant (12-7, 4-0 America East)
 
Short Story: Amar'e Marshall scores 26 points and Sebastian Thomas drops 20 in the second half but men's basketball falls to Bryant, 98-89.
 
Key Stats

• Amar'e Marshall led all scorers with 26 points in addition to a team-high five assists, and a perfect 13-13 from the line
• Five Great Danes scored in double-digits
• Jonathan Beagle tallied his eighth double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and recording a team-high 11 rebounds
• Sebastian Thomas scored all 20 of his points in the second half
• UAlbany won the rebound battle, 42-40, and outscored Bryant 18-7 off second-chance points
• The Great Danes shot 83.3% (20-24) from the free-throw line compared to the Bulldogs' 70% (21-30)
• Bryant's Earl Timberlake finished with 26 points and nine rebounds, just shy of a double-double 

Head Coach Dwayne Killings: "Again, against another really good team, we gave up almost 100 points, and that won't work.  We got off to a really bad start.  The message to the guys before the game was that Bryant will come out guns blazing because they want to take the game right away.  No moral victory, but I thought we showed some pride and some heart battling our way back into the game.  Then we made some mistakes down the stretch, and we weren't focused.  I thought we had a chance but we couldn't capitalize.  If we want to be really good we can't give up 90 points at home.  I was really proud with how we played for the last 30 minutes of the game, but we were in a hole that we shouldn't have been in."
 
How it Happened

• The Bulldogs gained an early 9-2 advantage after the first three minutes of play on the back of strong defensive pressure. UAlbany responded with back-to-back baskets to make it a one-possession contest.
• Coming out of the first media timeout, Bryant regained control of the game by going on a 6-0 scoring run to take a 15-6 lead with 13:58 remaining in the half.
• The Bulldogs extended their lead mid-way through the half by scoring 17 consecutive points to earn a 32-8 lead with 9:13 on the clock. But the Great Danes were not done yet, scoring six straight points as they looked to shift the momentum.
• The contest broke out into an offensive display as the two sides began trading baskets, highlighting their mutual ability to score from anywhere on the court, as UAlbany reduced the Bulldogs' lead to 40-28.
• The Great Danes closed out the first half strong with Muneer Newton hitting a buzzer-beater to cut the Bryant lead to 45-37. Amar'e Marshall led UAlbany in scoring with 13 points from 50% shooting, followed by Newton with 10.
• As a team, the Great Danes shot 35.1% (13-37) from the field while going 2-11 from behind the arc. The Bulldogs shot 50% (18-36) while going 4-12 from three.
• The two sides picked up right where they left off, displaying fast-paced offenses as they sought to penetrate the paint for easy points. Heading into the first media break of the half, Bryant held a 51-44 advantage.
• The Bulldogs grabbed control of the momentum as they extended their lead with a 7-0 scoring streak with 11:18 remaining.
• The Great Danes remained resilient, scoring six consecutive points as they looked to get back into the contest, trailing 76-70 with 5:53 remaining. Sebastian Thomas led the comeback effort with 17 points so far in the half.
• UAlbany closely trailed Bryant after Jonathan Beagle made a lay-up to reduce the gap to five points with two minutes remaining. Bryant's defense locked down and the Great Danes never got closer.
• The Bulldogs held on to win the contest, 98-89. Marshall finished with a game-high 26 points from 37.5% shooting.

Next: UAlbany visits Maine on January 25.