Tim Ambrose's 24 Points Leads UAlbany Men's Basketball to First Win of Season Against Bryant University

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Smithfield, R.I. – Tim Ambrose equaled a career-high 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds in leading UAlbany to its first win of the season in a 76-67 non-league decision over Bryant on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at Chace Athletic Center.

Ambrose, a 6-foot sophomore, used his athletic skills to score his team’s opening nine points of the second half, as UAlbany (1-2) built a 47-28 margin. He hit a basket after a steal and finished off that stretch with a conventional three-point when he was fouled on a fastbreak layup.

The Great Danes, who opened their schedule with Big East Conference opponents Villanova and DePaul, still held a 20-point cushion later in the period. But Bryant (0-1) would not fold and eventually attempted a run at the lead. Chris Birrell, a junior guard who had 12 points and seven assists, drilled a three-point field goal to close the gap to 64-52 with 4:49 remaining.

UAlbany’s Brian Connelly answered with a basket in the paint off a feed from Virginia transfer Will Harris and Mike Johnson, a junior college transfer, sank two foul shot to help their team pull away. The Bulldogs stayed within striking distance over the final three minutes behind the play of Barry Latham, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

“Give Bryant credit,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team opened with three road games for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign. “They threw every zone at us and ran about 20 different offensive sets. I thought we were flat in the first half and tired in the second, but I am glad we got a win.”

The Bulldogs, who were playing their first game as a Division I program after making the NCAA Division II tournament field in each of the last five seasons, jumped out to a 9-4 lead when Nick Pontes drilled a right baseline jumper. Bryant was still leading 11-9 when the Great Danes scored five unanswered to go in front. Freshman Louis Barraza, who had nine points off the bench, buried a three-point field goal from the right wing to break the tie.

UAlbany was ahead, 23-18, later in the stanza, but then rattled off seven of the game’s next eight points. Freshman guard Anthony Raffa canned a 3-pointer from the top of the arc against a zone defense, before Ambrose hit a layup following his steal and Scotty McRae made a transition jumper in the lane. Ambrose, who had 11 first-half points, scored with 24 seconds left before the break for a 39-25 halftime advantage.

“I took a deep breath before the game,” offered Ambrose, who made 10-of-17 from the field to match the same point total he had at nationally-ranked Duke last year. “I was trying to go right after it in the first two games. I just need to be patient and let the game come to me.”

Cecil Gresham, a 6-foot-5 junior, was the third player in double figures with 12 for the Bulldogs, who will travel to the Capital Region on Dec. 1 in the second meeting of the season between these two teams. Raffa, who dove over the media courtside table twice in the contest chasing loose balls, finished with nine points and three assists. McRae had six points and four rebounds.