Barry Evans (5) slams one home in the first half of Tuesday’s America East semifinal matchup against Albany. 3/11/25
SMITHFIELD — There turned out to be no real danger of Albany staging a second upset at Chace Athletic Center this season.
Bryant steadily turned up the heat and pulled away like the America East regular season champion should, booking a date in Saturday morning’s conference title game.
The Bulldogs were simply too domineering in the paint offensively and inside the 3-point arc defensively. They wore the Great Danes down to the point of surrender in a 91-78 victory, one that pushed them through this semifinal round of the conference tournament.
There was no late suspense like Bryant (22-11) endured late in the quarterfinals against Maryland Baltimore County. The Bulldogs needed to focus all the way to the wire in that 85-74 victory, with Earl Timberlake and Rafael Pinzon netting 19 of their final 22 points. Albany (17-16) was knocked out for good when Connor Withers drilled a wing 3-pointer to make it 85-60 with 6:27 to play.
The Great Danes slipped into a 20-point hole before making a push to get back in contact. They staged a desperate 8-0 run to make it a 68-56 game, with Kheni Briggs driving to the basket for a layup. Bryant immediately stepped on the gas again, with Timberlake’s defense board and slalom up the floor leading to a layup that made it 78-58 with 7:59 to play.
The Bulldogs doubled up Albany in the paint, 56-28, and allowed just 17-for-37 shooting from 2-point range while setting the tone physically. Keyshawn Mitchell racked up a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds while Timberlake added 21 points on 10-for-13 shooting. Barry Evans came up a rebound shy of joining Mitchell, collecting 20 points and nine boards.
The Great Danes cut into what was a 14-point deficit to make it a 39-33 game at halftime. They closed on a 12-4 run over the final 3:29, holding Bryant without another field goal. Amar’e Marshall nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner and the Bulldogs came up empty on a last possession with the shot clock off.
Bryant attacked the rim to build a 35-21 cushion, doubling up Albany by a count of 24-12 in the paint. Evans slashed across the lane for a right-handed slam to cap the lead, part of his team-high 12 points. Timberlake added 10 on 5-for-7 shooting and chipped in three blocked shots.
Maine’s road surprise at Vermont, 57-42, set up a chance for a third NCAA Tournament berth to be awarded in this gym since 2020-21. The Black Bears would have hosted the Great Danes if a second top-2 fell on this night. The Catamounts had punched the last three tickets from the league and five overall since 2016-17.
Kellen Tynes sparked Maine with 13 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots. The Bulldogs enjoyed a season sweep of the Black Bears, including an 81-55 blowout in this building to open league play on Jan. 4.
Bryant suffered a 63-58 loss to Mount St. Mary’s that season and rebounded with a 70-43 shelling of Wagner in 2021-22. This will be the first time vying for a March Madness bid outside of the Northeast Conference, and the Bulldogs could set a new single-season program record for Division I wins with another victory.
ALBANY (78):
BRYANT (91):
Halftime – B, 39-33. 3-pointers – A (), B (). Rebounds – A (), B (). Assists – A (), B ().
bkoch@providencejournal.com
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More to come……..
Bryant’s Earl Timberlake looks for an opening in Tuesday’s America East semifinal game against Albany.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bryant basketball beats Albany in America East semifinal, 91-78