BOX SCORE

SMITHFIELD, R.I. (Jan. 7, 2011) – The Saint Francis University men's basketball fell on the road Saturday to Bryant, 59-56, to close its season long five game road trip.
 
Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) and Anthony Ervin (Chesterfield, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) each scored in double figures for the Red Flash (3-12, 2-2) but the Bulldogs (2-13, 1-3) got 20 points Alex Francis to secure the win. The game was a back-and-forth contest that featured 10 lead-changes and nine ties. Eatherton posted his second consecutive double-double but posted his second worst shooting night of the season going 5-of-15 from the field. The Flash had a chance late but Ervin could not get a shot off as time expired.
 
Both teams started slowly from the field going a combined 3-for-21 in the first six minutes of the ball game. Even Eatherton, ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage, struggled starting the game, a season worst, 0-for-6. Kameron Ritter carried the offense early scoring the first five points for SFU. The first half ended with both teams shooting under 28-percent from the field. Bryant tried to get its offense going with the 3-point shot but struggled from behind the arc going 2-for-11 in the first frame. Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) looked like he may have sparked SFU with a dunk that required Bryant to make sure the basket was not broken but Bryant responded with a big dunk of its own. Bryant took a 25-19 lead into the locker room at half, largely because the Bulldogs limited their turnovers committing just two in the first frame.
 
Saint Francis stormed out of the gates in the second half scoring the first eight points of the second stanza and SFU started the half with hot shooting going 3-of-4. Bryant also stepped up its shooting in the second half but SFU was able to force the Bulldogs into more mistakes and earn some easy baskets. The Flash ran the lead to as many as seven but Bryant continued to battle and retook the lead late. Francis hit a pair of free throws to give a Bryant a three point lead. Ervin had a shot in the corner as time expired that would have tied the game but it was blocked.
 
Saint Francis returns home to Loretto to take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers Jan. 12 with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at DeGol Arena.
 
GAME NOTES
- Scott Eatherton (Hershey, Pa./Hershey) missed his first six shots of the game for the first time all season, the hot shooting forward's worse start prior to the Bryant game came against Drexel when he when he started 0-for-3.  
 
- SFU's top two scorers, Anthony Ervin (Chesterfield, Va./Fork Union Military Academy) and Eatherton, both struggled in the first half going a combined 3-for-14 from the field.
 
- Kameron Ritter entered the game against Bryant shooting 24-percent from the field but starting the game 2-for-2 meanwhile Eatherton entered the game shooting 71-percent and started the game 0-for-6.
 
- SFU players not named Ritter and Earl Brown (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) combined to go 5-of-25 (20-percent) from the field in the first half. Brown and Ritter combined to go 3-of-4 from the field in the first frame.
 
- The Red Flash shot just 8-of-29 (27.6-percent) in the first half but responded with 12-of-23 (52.2-percent) shooting in the second half.
 
- After scoring just two points in the first half, Ervin responded with 10 points in the second half.
 
- Both teams shot 12-of-23 in the second half after they both shot under 28-percent from the field in the second half.
 
- Ritter posted a stat sheet stuffing night with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.