With playoffs on the horizon, Bryant basketball bolsters its resume by beating Maine

SMITHFIELD — These are the games you win to set up the showdowns.

UMass Lowell looms this weekend with a chance to tighten the grip on the No. 2 seed in the upcoming America East Tournament.

But that matchup with the River Hawks wouldn’t have carried the same potential benefit if Bryant hadn’t taken care of Maine first. The Bulldogs battled all the way into the final minute before finally sealing the right result at Chace Athletic Center on Thursday.

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Earl Timberlake connected on a pair of clutch free throws and Bryant managed the defensive stop required inside the last 20 seconds. Daniel Rivera iced it with another pair of free throws and the Bulldogs had themselves a 77-72 triumph.

“You just have to go to the next game,” Bryant coach Phil Martelli Jr. said. “We had to win tonight because we had to win tonight. It had nothing to do with Saturday.”

Bryant nursed a one-point lead into the final minute and buckled down on defense. Ja’Shonte Wright-McLeish missed a 3-pointer and Adam Cisse’s layup attempt was blocked away. Timberlake’s 1-and-1 with 20.5 seconds left and Jaden Clayton’s missed layup pushed the Bulldogs to a fourth win in their last five.

“Toughness is all those things,” Martelli said. “It’s making free throws. It’s coming up with a big block.”

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Timberlake picked up a fourth personal foul with 17:12 left and went to the bench with Bryant holding a 42-40 lead. The Bulldogs grew it by one point before Timberlake checked back in with 4:39 left — that's how strong the frontcourt contributions were elsewhere in this one. Rivera collected his fourth double-double of the season with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

“It was really important because we lost to them,” Rivera said. “We came out with fire — making tough plays on both sides of the floor.”

That was nearly two weeks ago on the road. Bryant fell flat in a 79-72 defeat against the Black Bears. That loss has the Bulldogs stuck a game behind Vermont for the league’s top spot, and the reward for a high finish is significant. Top seeds host postseason games on their respective home floors — Bryant is currently second, putting it in line for quarterfinal and semifinal dates here.

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“You find a stop,” Martelli said. “You find a shot. I do believe if you’re willing to make tough plays the ball’s going to drop. The ball is going to bounce your way.”

The Bulldogs (17-9, 9-2 America East) were a cool 7-for-23 from the field before nailing their next six shots. They traded seven-point leads with Maine (11-14, 3-7) before claiming a 39-38 edge at the break. Timberlake totaled 12 points and five rebounds into the locker room and looked poised for a monster night.

That ultimately didn’t unfold as he was whistled twice for personals before the first media timeout in the second half. Rivera stepped in from there, totaling 15 points and seven rebounds through the last 20 minutes. He also drew 10 fouls against the Black Bears — Kristians Feierbergs was disqualified and Bryant attempted nearly double the number of free throws Maine enjoyed.

“He doesn’t lack for confidence,” Martelli said of Rivera. “And he’s such a reactionary guy — he just plays. He just reacts to plays, which is good. There are other guys out there who think too much.”

UMass Lowell is coming off a bye and will have sat on a road loss to NJIT for a week. The River Hawks suffered a 71-64 defeat last time out and have dropped three of their last five after a 5-0 conference start. The Bulldogs lead them by a game in the loss column but were swept in the season series last year, including an 85-71 defeat at home.

“This next month is where you really build your list of what you accomplish,” Martelli said.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25

MAINE (72): Feierbergs 3-4 0-0 6, Filipovity 4-5 1-4 9, Clayton 6-11 0-0 14, Tynes 6-12 0-0 12, Wright-McLeish 4-10 1-2 11, Lopez 6-11 1-1 15, Cisse 0-2 2-2 2, Burns 1-6 0-0 3, Perovic 0-0 0-0 0; totals 30-61 5-9 72. BRYANT (77): Withers 1-4 0-0 3, Brelsford 4-8 0-0 11, Gross-Bullock 4-10 5-5 15, Timberlake 8-11 4-4 20, Rivera 9-16 5-8 23, Edert 1-5 0-0 3, Pinzon 1-6 0-0 2; totals 28-60 14-17 77.

Halftime — Bryant 39-38. 3-point goals — Maine 7-20 (Clayton 2-4, Lopez 2-4, Wright-McLeish 2-4, Burns 1-3, Feierbergs 0-1, Filipovity 0-1, Tynes 0-3), Bryant 7-22 (Brelsford 3-6, Gross-Bullock 2-5, Withers 1-3, Edert 1-4, Pinzon 0-2, Rivera 0-2). Fouled out — Feierbergs. Rebounds — Maine 29 (Cisse 8), Bryant 33 (Rivera 11). Assists — Maine 11 (Tynes 4), Bryant 12 (Withers, Gross-Bullock, Rivera 3). Total fouls — Maine 18, Bryant 11. A — 1,001 (2,000).

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bryant basketball tops Maine with America East playoffs coming soon