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(Photo credit: TJ Root)

Smithfield, RI-  Senior guard Marcus Burton (Charlotte, NC/David W. Butler) poured in a game-high 31 points but the Bryant University Bulldogs opened up a 18-point second half lead before thwarting off a late Seahawk rally en route to a 81-73 win tonight at the Chace Athletic Center.

With the loss, the Seahawks fall to 4-12 on the season, 2-3 in conference play while the Bulldogs even their season record to 7-7, while moving into sole possession of first place as only three NEC teams played this evening (LIU Brooklyn @ Central Connecticut and Mount St. Mary's @ Fairleigh Dickinson)

Burton, fresh off garnering Honorable Mention accolades for the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA), scored 18 of his 31 points in the first half while finishing 10-of-23 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from beyond-the-arc. The five made threes tie a career-high for the fourth-year guard, matching the in five treys he made back on November 18, 2013 vs. Coppin State while the 10 attempts tie a career-best set this November in the home opener against SUNY Old Westbury.

Freshman guard Romone Saunders (Temple Hills, MD/Mt. Zion Prep) produced his fourth straight double-figure scoring game and seventh in his last 10 games, hitting for 10 points in 26 minutes of play, while classmate Corey Henson (Upper Marlboro, Maryland/DeMatha Catholic) added nine.

Four Bulldogs tallied double-figures, led by Dyami Starks, who scored 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes of action.  His backcourt mate, Joe O'Shea, notched 19 points while adding five rebounds in the victory. Guards Shane McLaughlin and Hunter Ware combined for 21 points on a combined 7-of-16 shooting. Reigning Northeast Conference Player of the Week Dan Garvin was held to just seven points and six rebounds in 20 minutes before fouling out with 5:49 remaining in the contest.

Both teams traded buckets early in the contest as the score was knotted at eight apiece after Senat connected on two from the charity stripe. Wagner took its first lead since 4-2 when Henson dialed up a corner three-pointer off a feed from freshman guard Aaren Edmead (Deer Park, NY/Deer Park) at the 15:21 mark. After Henson's three, Bryant responded with a 10-0 run of its own to take a 18-11 lead, as the Bulldogs held the Seahawks to 0-7 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc while forcing four turnovers during a 5:43 stretch. The visitors quickly responded with an 8-4 output over the next three minutes, capped by a Burton layup that brought the Green & White to within three, 22-19. It would be the closest the Seahawks would get in the first half, however, as Bryant closed the stanza by outscoring Wagner 14-11 to take a 36-30 halftime lead.

The Seahawks opened the second half on a 6-0 spurt thanks to a pair of Burton three-point jumpers, the latter coming at 18:25, which tied the game at 36-36. Two free throws by Starks jump-started a 12-4 Bryant run, which was capped by a pair of O'Shea foul shots gave Bryant a 48-40 lead with 14:27 left. Junior forwrd Stedman Allen (Bronx, NY/Labette CC) put a stop to the Bulldog run as he was able to connect on a mid-range jumper that brought Wagner within six, 48-42.

Bryant answered back with a 12-to-2 burst over a near three-minute period that gave the Bulldogs a 60-44 lead with 11:08 left in regulation. After Starks converted on a layup for his 23^rd point of the contest and Scocca making his attempts at the free-throw line, Saunders was able to muscle in two on a right-handed layup and complete the three-point play. Over a nine-minute period, both teams were limited from the field, combining to go 7-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. However, the two teams converted an identical 11-of-16 from the free-throw, with Wagner's defense forced seven turnovers during this time. Saunders and Burton closed the game out with a three-pointer and a layup, respectively, but Bryant was able to hold off the comeback attempt.

For the contest, Wagner was held to 38.1 percentshooting  from the field while the Bulldogs shot 51.0 percent from the floor, despite going just  4-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Green & White held a 38-32 edge in the rebounding department, with a 16-4 edge on the offensive glass.

Wagner concludes its two-game road trip with a visit to the Garden State as the Seahawks square off against the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on Saturday, January 17 at 4:30 pm. The contest will be streamed live on NEC Front Row, the online digital network of the Northeast Conference, and will be the second game of a doubleheader as the Seahawk and Knight women's teams will meet ina 2:00 p.m. tip.

Follow Wagner Athletics on Twitter (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the athletic department and use the hashtag #WagnerHoops for information on the men's basketball program and head coach Bashir Mason (@BashirMason) for news on the third-year head coach.