Ezeokoli Scores 16 as #5 Bryant

Ezeokoli Scores 16 as #5 Bryant Makes NCAA Regional Semifinals an all-Northeast-10 Affair

WALTHAM, Mass. – Sunday night’s NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Northeast Regional will be an all Northeast-10 Conference affair following Bryant University’s 63-56 ousting of fourth-seeded and East Coast Conference champion C.W. Post Saturday night at Bentley's Dana Center.

Jon Ezeokoli (South Orange, N.J.) scored 10 of his team-high 16 points from the free throw line as the Bulldogs earned the right to face top-seeded and undefeated Bentley in the semis. It’ll be the third time in four years that the two will meet during the NCAA tournament.

Bryant trailed 26-25 at the half but used a tough second-half defense to advance to the regional semifinals for the fourth time in five trips to the postseason under coach Max Good.

A dunk by CW. Post forward Lyndon Daniel (St. George’s, Grenada) with 6:38 left gave the Pioneers a 44-42 lead. But a Cecil Gresham (Bloomfield, Conn.) basket on a put-back on a Barry Latham (Taunton, Mass.) miss helped Bryant tie the game up at 44-44 with just over five minutes to play.

Bryant (18-12) would take advantage of cold shooting from the floor – and at the line – to charge ahead by as much as eight, 53-45 with 1:47 left as C.W. Post failed to score a field goal from Daniel’s dunk until Wesley Matthews lay-up with 30 seconds left.

CW Post (26-5) made just 19 of 35 free throws in the game and got a game-high 23 points from guard Jonathan Schmidt (Centereach, N.Y.). Bryant, which finished the night shooting 39 percent from the floor, made 28 of 39 free throws including 16 of 23 in the second half to advance to Sunday’s semifinal. Gresham added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs.

Bentley swept both season meetings against Bryant this season, although the second was a one-pointer, 69-68, about six weeks ago The Falcons have won 61 straight against Northeast Region teams.

The other regional semifinal will pit number two Assumption against third-seeded Saint Rose. The two winners Sunday night will meet in the regional final Tuesday night, with a trip to the Elite Eight awaiting the winner.

At Waltham, Mass. (Dana Center)

BRYANT 63, C.W. POST 56

BRYANT (18-12)

Jon Ezeokoli 3-9 10-12 16; Cecil Gresham 4-9 5-6 13; Barry Latham 3-10 5-6 11; Chris Birrell 1-8 7-10 10; Jerrann Wright 3-6 0-0 6; Ryan McLean 2-3 0-1 4; Andrew Lyell 1-1 1-2 3; John Fogarty 0-1 0-2 0; Peter Lambert 0-5 0-0 0; Ray Witkos 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-52 28-39 63.

C.W. POST (26-5)

Jonathan Schmidt 6-15 10-11 23; Kevin Spann 4-7 1-3 10; Kenny Burkes 2-3 4-6 8; Wesley Matthews 2-7 2-4 6; Lyndon Daniel 2-5 1-5 5; Gilbert Montalvo 1-3 0-0 3; Brandon Butler 0-4 1-4 1; Mateusz Sowa 0-0 0-0 0; David Moreno 0-0 0-0 0; Kellen Scantlebury 0-0 0-2 0; Aaron Daly 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-44 19-35 56.

Halftime: CWP 26-25; 3-point goals--B 1-13 (Birrell 1-5; Gresham 0-1; Lambert 0-4; Ezeokoli 0-3), CWP 3-15 (Montalvo 1-3; Spann 1-1; Schmidt 1-7; Butler 0-3; Burkes 0-1). Fouled out--McLean. Rebounds--B 43 (Gresham 10), CWP 34 (Schmidt 8). Assists--B 8 (Birrell 4), CWP 5 (Burkes 3). Total fouls--B 26, CWP 27. Technical fouls--CWP bench.