Bryant men’s basketball is headed to its second NCAA Tournament in school history after beating Maine, 77-59, in the America East Tournament championship game Saturday.
Maine was making a run for its first tournament appearance in history before being denied by the Bulldogs (23-11, 14-2), who amassed an 11-point halftime lead and held on for a double-digit win on their home court in Smithfield, R.I.
The Bulldogs’ only other NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2022, Bryant’s final season as a member of the Northeast Conference, when they beat Wagner in the conference tournament championship to punch their ticket.
Coach Phil Martelli Jr., named the America East coach of the year this season, was the Bulldogs’ associate head coach that year before being promoted to his current position in 2023.
Bryant now awaits its first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament. The 68-team field will be announced during the selection show on CBS starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Sophomore Barry Evans, named the America East newcomer of the year after transferring from St. Bonaventure, led the Bulldogs with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Conference player of the year Earl Timberlake scored 17 for Bryant, while Maine’s A.J. Lopez led the all scorers with 20 points.
Bryant entered halftime with its largest lead of the first half, heading into the locker room up 38-27. The Bulldogs extended the margin in the second half, leading by as many as 21.
Maine made a late push, cutting Bryant’s lead down to 13 with under six minutes remaining, but Bryant stayed hot to close out the blowout win.
The top-seeded Bulldogs beat UMBC, 85-74, in the first round before taking down Albany, 91-78, to earn a spot in the conference tournament final.
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