SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Sherif Gross-Bullock scored 15 points, including a go-ahead runner in the lane with 0.8 seconds left, and Bryant beat Syracuse 73-72 on Saturday night in a game that got testy midway through the first half.
The Bulldogs (5-1) are off to their best start in their Division I history.
Syracuse’s Joe Girard sank a pair of foul shots with eight seconds to go for a 72-71 advantage before Gross-Bullock took the inbound, drove the length of the floor, put up a floater in the middle of the lane that bounced off the rim and in. The Orange did not get off a shot at the end.
As for the testy first half: Bryant was ahead 25-17 when Syracuse’s Judah Mintz was whistled for a charge. He became entangled with Bryant’s Doug Edert, who was a member of the St. Peter’s team who made it to the Elite Eight last season. Mintz then smacked Edert in the face as he walked past him. Edert responded with a smack to Mintz with his backed turned before players and coaches intervened.
After an official review, Edert and Mintz were both ejected along with Bryant reserves Kvonn Cramer and Tyler Brelsford for leaving the team bench.
Syracuse assistants Adrian Autry and Allen Griffin, and the Orange’s director of basketball operations Pete Corasaniti were also tossed, along with Bryant assistants Phil Martelli Jr. and Chris Cole
Antwan Walker led the Bulldogs with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Charles Pride and Earl Timberlake each scored 13.
Walker threw down a dunk to give the Bulldogs a 52-39 lead with 13:53 to go before Syracuse got back in it by outscoring Bryant 22-8 over the next 10 1/2 minutes and went up 61-60 on Jesse Edwards’ layup. The lead changed hands five times from there.
Reserve Justin Taylor scored 25 points for Syracuse (3-3), Chris Bell added 14 and Edwards had 12 with a career-high 21 rebounds.