Top-Seeded Bryant Bulldogs Hold Off UMBC In America East Quarterfinal Saturday

Bryant University Press Release

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Rafael Pinzon and Earl Timberlake combined for 40 points to lift the top-seeded Bryant men’s basketball team to an 85-74 victory over No. 8 seed UMBC in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Jersey Mike’s America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs on Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 21-11 overall and advance to the semifinals on Tuesday night at the Chace Athletic Center. Bryant will host No. 4 seed UAlbany, a 69-66 victor over No. 5 Binghamton on Saturday night. Tip is set for 9:00 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN2.

Pinzon finished with 22 points, while Timberlake posted 18 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. Kvonn Cramer added his first double-double as a Bulldog finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Connor Withers (12) and Barry Evans (11) both finished in double figures.

Game Information
No. 1 Bryant 85, No. 8 UMBC 74
Records: Bryant 21-11 | UMBC 13-19
Location: Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Attendance: 1,005

Key Moments

• Keyshawn Mitchell hit a three-point field goal to start an 11-2 Bryant run late in the first half. The run gave the Bulldogs a double-digit lead.

How it Happened

• UMBC got off to a strong start, scoring the game’s first six points.
• Evans was able to help shoot Bryant back into the game as he scored seven of the teams first 15 points. He hit a three off an inbounds play to make it a one-point game and then finished a flurry under the hoop to give Bryant its first lead, 12-11.
• Bryant would try and pull away in the middle of the first half as Withers splashed his second three and Mitchell canned two free throws to make it 22-15.
• UMBC would pull within four but Mitchell answered with a right wing three and Evans finished in transition to make it 29-20 and force a UMBC timeout.
• The Black and Gold would push their lead to as many as 13 on baskets from Cramer and Robinson (35-22).
• Bryant would take a 41-31 lead to the half thanks to an acrobatic finish from Pinzon.
• Evans gave the second half some juice as he threw down a thunderous two-hand slam off a dish from Cramer.
• Cramer’s putback with 14:44 left gave Bryant a 54-43 lead and forced a UMBC timeout.
• Pinzon would ride the momentum from his acrobatic first-half bucket, making 6-of-9 after a 1-of-10 start from the field. He knocked down a pair of threes to open the second half, helping Bryant hold a 59-49 lead.
• Pinzon’s third three of the half would come following UMBC three and pushed Bryant’s lead back to double-digits with 8:30 left.
• UMBC, however, would cut the deficit to six, 70-64, with 6:42 left as Marcus Banks Jr. got a three to bounce home.
• Timberlake would take over for the Bulldogs, scoring 16 second-half points. He scored 10 of Bryant’s 13 points in a 6:13 stretch of gameplay as the Black and Gold held a 76-69 lead with 2:46 left.
• In total, Timberlake and Pinzon combined to score 19 of Bryant’s final 22 points.
• The Bulldogs were able to put the game away from the foul line, making 6-of-8.

Stats

• Bryant finished the game 32-of-69 (46.4 percent) from the field, 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) from three and 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) from the line.
• Bryant held a 49-32 edge on the glass. The Bulldogs had 16 offensive rebounds and held a 22-6 edge in second chance points.
• Bryant finished the game with 16 assists.
• Pinzon led Bryant with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting. He knocked down a trio of threes. He went 6-of-9 from the field and scored 17 points in the second half.
• Timberlake finished with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. He added seven rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and a steal. He posted 16 second-half points on 7-of-11 shooting.
• Cramer posted a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. He also blocked two shots.
• Withers added 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals.
• Evans finished with 11 points, five boards, two assists and two steals.

Game Notes

• Bryant won all three games vs UMBC this season, improving to 5-2 in the last three years.
• Bryant’s 21 victories are the second-most in a single season in DI program history.
• The Black and Gold improve to 7-9 in conference tournament play the DI level. Bryant is 7-3 at home.
• Bryant is now 10-3 at home this season and 54-12 at home since the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
• Timberlake now has 762 career rebounds and 336 assists at Bryant.
• Timberlake finished in double figures for the 26^th time this year and the 79^th time in his career.
• Evans has scored in double figures in 26 games this year and 28 times in his career.
• Pinzon finished in double figures for the 26^th time this year and the 55^th time in his career.
• Pinzon recorded his 12^th 20-point game of the year and the 19^th of his career.
• Pinzon now has 542 points this season, the ninth-most in a single season in DI program history.
• Cramer finished in double figures for the 10^th time this year and the 23^rd time in his career.
• Cramer posted his first double-double of the year and as a Bulldog. It was the sixth of his career and his first since Nov. 24, 2021 vs Molloy.
• Withers finished in double figures for the 17^th time this year and the 57^th time in his career. The four steals are a season high.

Up Next
Top-seeded Bryant will host No. 4 UAlbany in the 2025 Jersey Mike’s America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs Semifinal on Tuesday, March 11 at 9:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2.