SMITHFIELD, R.I.– Barry Evans accumulated 24 points and Earl Timberlake achieved a double-double as the Bryant men’s basketball squad overwhelmed UMass Lowell, triumphing, 85-62, on Saturday afternoon at the Chace Athletic Center.
With this victory, the Bulldogs elevate their record to 10-9 overall and 4-0 in the America East. Saturday signified Bryant’s inaugural win against Lowell since their transition to the Division I status. The Bulldogs will be back in action on Thursday night (Jan. 23) as they head to face New Hampshire.
Bryant managed to have five players finish with double-digit points for the second consecutive game and the fifth time this season. The Bulldogs have won every one of those games. Moreover, the Black and Gold exhibited aggressive defense, concluding with 11 blocks and eight steals.
Barry Evans spearheaded the offense for the Black and Gold, totaling 24 points, just one shy of matching his career high. Evans shot 7-16 from the floor and added five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Earl Timberlake (6-9 FG) recorded his 34th career double-double with 14 points and 18 boards. He also contributed five assists and four blocks.
Match Details
Bryant 85, UMass Lowell 62
Records:Bryant 10-9, 4-0 | UMass Lowell 13-6, 2-2
Venue:Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)
Attendance: 734
Crucial Moments
Bryant outscored UMass Lowell 45-28 during the initial half
The Bulldogs achieved 11 blocks compared to the Riverhawks’ 1
The Black and Gold held a lead of up to 31 points on Saturday.
The Sequence of Events
After over two minutes without scoring, Bryant would get on the scoreboard first with a left-handed layup from Earl Timberlake.
Lowell’s Cam Morris III would finally put the Riverhawks on the board following the initial media timeout by netting two free throws.
The country’s leading three-point shooter, Rafael Pinzon, would hit his first three-pointer of the game at 12:54 in the first half. He would go on to make three out of his first six attempts from the field.
The Bulldogs would then embark on a 20-7 run, including an 11-point streak fueled by contributions from Pinzon, Barry Evans, Jakai Robinson, and Connor Withers.
Pinzon would assist Withers on a long-range three-pointer, establishing a 15-point lead for the Bulldogs heading into the last four minutes of the half.
Lowell’s Martin Somerville would reach double-figures in the first half after connecting on a step-back three-pointer with under two minutes remaining.
Barry Evans would lead the scoring for the Bulldogs in the first half with 13 points, shooting 6-11 from the field. Bryant would go into halftime with a 45-28 advantage.
Coming out of halftime, Bryant would be the first to score again as Earl Timberlake located Keyshawn Mitchell under the hoop for a quick layup. Lowell would rapidly respond with a Quinton Mincey basket.
Evans would achieve his initial points of the second half after sinking a three-pointer just shy of the 17-minute mark.
Connor Withers found success versus his old team, knocking down a pair of threes from beyond the arc during the first ten minutes of the second half.
With just over 13 minutes remaining, Earl Timberlake delivered a cross-court alley-oop to Barry Evans, whom Evans would finish with a dunk, extending Bryant’s lead to 20.
Earl Timberlake achieved a career-best 18 rebounds, completing a double-double against the Riverhawks.
Barry Evans fell just one point short of matching his career high for points, finishing with 24 on Saturday.
Stats
Bryant concluded the game 34-of-75 (45.3 percent) from the field, 8-of-28 (28.6 percent) from beyond the arc, and 9-of-12 (75.0 percent) from the free-throw line.
Bryant maintained a commanding 56-39 advantage in rebounds.
The Bulldogs recorded 15 assists, eight steals, and committed 12 turnovers.
The Black and Gold matched their season-best blocks with 11 against the Riverhawks, while UMass Lowell managed just one block throughout the entire game.
Evans topped all scorers with 24 points, shooting 10-of-15 from the field, 1-of-2 from three, and a perfect 3-3 from the line, alongside five rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
Earl Timberlake secured his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Timberlake also added five assists and four blocks.
Rafael Pinzon contributed 15 points on 7-16 shooting, in addition to three assists and two rebounds.
Connor Withers scored 15 points and drained five three-pointers against his previous squad, along with eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks on Saturday.
Keyshawn Mitchell recorded back-to-back double-digit scoring performances for the second time this season, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks against the Riverhawks.
For the second consecutive game, Bryant had five players with double-digit scoring.
Game Notes
Bryant secures their first victory against UMass Lowell at the Division I level, previously being 0-5 against the Riverhawks since joining the America East.
The Bulldogs now have a 20-22 record in the all-time series with Lowell.
Bryant improves to 5-2 at home this season and has a 49-11 record at the Chace since the 2020-21 season.
The Black and Gold are 4-0 in conference play for the second consecutive year.
Timberlake has reached double figures for the 16th time this season and the 69th time in his career.
Timberlake recorded four or more assists for the 11th time this season.
Timberlake achieved his 6th double-double of the year and the 26th of his career.
Timberlake set a new career record for rebounds with 18 on Saturday, tying him with Dan Garvin and Alex Francis for the third-highest rebounds in a single game.
Timberlake registered his 6th game with double-figure rebounds this season and the 34th of his career.
Evans recorded his 2nd game scoring 20 points in his career, both occurring this season.
Evans concluded in double figures for the 16th time this season and 18th time in his career.
Mitchell finished in double digits for the 6th time in his career, all of which occurred this season. He billed consecutive double-digit scoring games for the second time this season.
Withers ended in double figures for the 9th time this season and the 46th time in his career.
Pinzon finished in double digits for the 14th time this year and the 43rd time in his career.
The Bulldogs are 5-0 this season whenever five or more players score in double figures.
Up Next Bryant is set to venture on the road to clash with the University of New Hampshire on Thursday (Jan. 23) in Durham. The tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.