They Did It !

Finally.  The weight of the college basketball world is off their shoulders.  Out of 347 Division I programs in the country, Bryant was the last team remaining without a win under the belts.  Tonight, after 26 tries, the Bulldogs finally came through with a 53-51 win over Wagner College. t

To keep it in persepective, yes, Bryant is only in its second year competing at the Division I level, a major difference from the days of competing at the Division II level where the Bulldogs found success on a regular basis.

But in Division I, there is not sympathy for playing with the big boys,  To earn a win, you have to do just that - earn it.

So on this night in Staten Island, with 26-straight losses on the season coming the game, the Bulldogs finally put together a complete game from start to finish and were rewarded with their first W.  

Recently, Bryant struggled mightly on offense, particularly in the second half. After a loss to Saint Francis (PA) at home on regional television in which the team could muster just 34 points, the team put together a valiant effort against Robert Morris, the top team in the league this season.  A 10-minute scoreless drought in the second half resulted in a 10-point loss.

But against Wagner, the Bulldogs distributed the ball well, hustled for the loose balls, hit the wide open jumpers, and took advantage of coming through with some key free throws down the stretch.

None more important than what transpired in the final seconds.  With the game tied at 51-51, the Bulldogs had the ball with about a four-second differential from the game clock.  Looking to eat up the clock, the Bulldogs worked it down inside 10 seconds, but could not get a shot off in time.

But you knew the basketball gods were on the side of Bryant on this night.  Wagner picked up the loose ball but fired up a halfcourt shot that went out of bounds and was awarded back to the Bulldogs with approximately four ticks on the clock.

Sam Leclerc inbounded from mid-court to Raphael Jordan who drove the lane quickly and was fouled with just 0.8 seconds remaining.

A former coach used to say that a freshmen may be a freshman at the beginning of the year, but by the 27th game of the season, they're no longer freshman.

Jordan, a rookie from Bel Air, Maryland enjoying an excellent first season, calmly sank both free throws and watched as Wagner's desperation heave fell short as the final buzzer sounded.

Sure, 1-26, may not be much reason to celebrate for college basketball teams, but these Bulldogs receive a pass for a job well done for not giving up and showing a little pride.


Go Bulldogs !