Bryant Ends Six Game Losing Streak with Win Over Mt. St. Mary’s

Bryant news release…

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Bosko Kostur (Melbourne, Australia) poured in a career-high 24 points and senior forward Dan Garvin (Bethel, Conn.) hit a critical free throw to push the Bryant University men’s basketball team ahead, 72-71, with five ticks to go, as Mount St. Mary’s missed a last second three, allowing the hosts to hold on for a well-deserved Northeast Conference win Thursday night.    

Kostur went 8-of-13 from the field and hit all six of his free throws to go along with four boards and three assists. The Bulldogs’ (4-11, 1-2) leading scorer, sophomore Nisre Zouzoua (Brockton, Mass.) had 15 points, classmate Marcel Pettway (North Providence, R.I.) scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, freshman Adam Grant (Franklin, Va.) tallied seven points and had a team-high eight caroms.

Four Mountaineers (4-12, 2-1) scored in double-figures, led by 18 each from Chris Wray and Miles Wilson. Junior Robinson had 16 points on four triples and Mawdo Sallah had 10 points and five rebounds, while Elijah Long tallied eight points and team-best seven rebounds.  

With the game tied, 53-53, with 8:39 remaining, the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the night at the 6:24 mark, 62-53. Kostur had seven points to add to his career high, as five of the points came at the free-throw line.

But the advantage was not held for long, as the Mount roared back with 14-straight points over the next 3:03 to retake the lead at 67-62. Robinson hit a pair of freebies, Wray converted an acrobatic tipin, then Robinson drained a three from the far corner to initiate the stretch and get the visitors back in control.

After a Zouzoua free throw and a Pettway layup got Bryant to within two points, 67-65, with 2:19 to play, Wray leaped for another tipin to put his team up by four at the 1:54 mark. Kostur drained a three on the next possession to trim the Mount lead to one, 69-68. After a pair of free throws from both sides made it 71-70 with 47 seconds on the clock, Pettway drove to the rim and got fouled, sending him to the line for two with 25 seconds to go.

He missed the first, then hit the second to tie the game at 71-71, the contest’s ninth stalemate. With the shot clock turned off, the Mountaineers had possession with a chance to win the game. Robinson saw a lane, drove baseline and flipped up a floater from the right side. But Garvin was there for huge rejection and Grant grabbed the board and pushed up the court. He fed Garvin who got fouled on a layup attempt with five seconds to play.

Garvin hit just one of two, leaving the Mount with a chance for a last second winner. Robinson got a clear look at a three from straight away, but the shot hit back iron as time expired, and Bryant escaped with a crazy and much needed victory.

The Bulldogs trailed for the final 17:46 of the first half, by as many as nine and faced a 32-28 deficit at the break. But the hosts opened the second frame scoring eight of the first 12 points over the first 4:15 to tie the contest at 36-36. There were seven lead changes and three additional ties over the next 8:15 leading up the 53-53 deadlock and dramatic final two minutes.

Bryant shot 44.8 percent from the floor, while the Mountaineers connected on 46.6 percent of their shots. Both sides hit just four threes in the game and attempted a combined 25 deep balls, as there were 84 points scored inside the paint.

The Bulldogs look to keep momentum following their first league win when the travel the defending league champ Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.