Penmen Write Off Bulldogs 73-62

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Sam Carey (Manchester, NH) led four Penmen in double figures with 16 points and eight rebounds as the Penmen posted a 73-62 Northeast-10 men’s basketball victory over Bryant University Wednesday night at the Chace Center.  The Penmen, who won their third straight, improve to 8-7 overall and 5-6 in the NE-10, while the Bulldogs fall to 9-8 and 5-7 in the league.

Carey finished 6-9 from the floor.  Troy Bowen (Nashua, NH) was 5-7 overall and 3-4 from three-point land and finished with 15 points.  Chase Miller (Fairfax, VA) totaled 15 points, draining a trio of three-pointers, while Gerald Carter (Harlem, NY) added 13 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Cecil Gresham led Bryant with 18 points.

Southern New Hampshire broke open a close first half when it went on a 16-5 run capped by a conventional three-point play  by Cory Vejraska (Alachua, FL) at the 2:30 mark to give the Penmen a 32-24 lead.  The Bulldogs would close the half by outscoring SNHU 9-3 and a Peter Lambert three 55 seconds before intermission made it 35-33 in favor of the Penmen at the break.

Bryant took a 40-39 lead on a Jon Ezeokoli three-pointer with just over 15 minutes to play, but the Penmen would score seven straight points to take a 46-40 lead at the 10-minute mark on a layup by Carter.  An 11-1 run capped by a Carter basket with 5:20 to play gave the Penmen their largest lead, 59-46.  Bryant would pull within four, 60-56, with 2:34 to play, but that would be as close as the Bulldogs would get.  SNHU sealed the win at the charity stripe, going 8-10 over the final 1:12.

The Penmen shot 53% (23-43) from the floor and connected on eight of their 19 three-point attempts.  SNHU also held a 30-28 rebounding advantage.

SNHU hosts Merrimack College Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm at the SNHU Fieldhouse.

~For a boxscore of this game, visit http://www.northeast10.org/ ~