Bryant Tops Men's Hoop 70-54
Drakeford scores team-high 19 points
Senior Faronte Drakeford scored a team-high 19 points but it wasn't enough as Bryant University pulled away in the second half for a 70-54 win at Central Connecticut on Saturday afternoon. Drakeford was 7-of-9 from the field and also had a pair of steals for the Blue Devils.
With the loss Central Connecticut drops to 2-17 overall and 0-6 in Northeast Conference play. Bryant improves to 8-7 overall and 5-1 in league action with the victory.
Bryant led by one at the half, 28-27, after both teams shot the ball well from the field. Central hit 11-of-22 and a pair of threes before the break and freshman Kevin Seymour had six assists as Central was down just one. Bryant, who struggled from the field to open the game, made 12-of-27 and a pair of threes in the first half.
In the second half the Bulldogs shot 15-of-23 from the field and 12-of-15 inside the three point line and would lead by as many as 19. The Blue Devils shot only 10-of-23 and 2-of-10 from three after halftime.
Bryant opened the second half scoring the first nine points to build the lead to 10 just two minutes into the half. The Blue Devils would get no closer than seven the rest of the way.
Bryant shot 54.0 percent from the field in the game but was just 5-of-20 from three. They were 22-of-30 inside the arc. The Blue Devils finished the game shooting 46.7 percent, but made only 4-of-15 from three and 8-of-13 from the line.
Central had 16 assists and 14 turnovers, leading to 12 Bryant points.
Drakeford had 19 to go along with four rebounds. Sophomore Matt Mobley added nine points and five boards. Seymour had a career-high eight assists to go along with six points. Junior Brandon Peel had eight points and six boards.
The Blue Devils return to action on Wednesday night vs. St. Francis Brooklyn at 9:30 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.
