SMITHFIELD — Bryant University couldn’t pull off a David-vs.-Goliath upset in the school’s first Division I basketball game last night, but the Bulldogs hung tough and proved they belonged.

Bryant, a success in Division II for years, made the leap to Division I this season. The Bulldogs fell to Albany in their first game last night, 76-67, but the scrappy Bulldogs earned the respect of their opponent and kept an elated home crowd on its feet until the final minute.

“This is a big deal for this university, and to see a crowd like that in the middle of the week, mostly composed of students, I thought was great. I look forward to a time, and I don’t know how many years it will take, when every mid-week game will fill the gym,” said Bryant head coach Tim O’Shea.

Bryant came out strong in their opening minutes in Division I, storming out to a 9-4 lead and bringing the home crowd alive with dreams of a win. But soon Albany’s quickness and 3-point shooting put it ahead for good.

Coming into the game, it seemed that Albany’s size would be too much for the Bulldogs. The Great Danes boast a frontcourt anchored by 6-foot-11 center Brett Gifford and a crew of tall forwards. Bryant doesn’t have a player over 6-foot-7, but thanks to the athleticism of 6-4 Bryant forward Barry Latham, who pulled down 11 rebounds and seemed to be all over the court, Bryant stayed close in the rebounding battle, recording 31 boards to Albany’s 37.

“I like to think that I can jump a little,” a clearly pleased Latham said after the game.

After the half, Albany’s 6-foot Tim Ambrose took over, scoring the first nine points of the second half and racing around the court, stealing the ball and slamming down dunks. Bryant rallied late, pulling to within nine with a minute to play, but it was too late.

But the score did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd, which seemed to enjoy being part of the Division I world.

University president Ron Machtley, a former U.S. congressman, led cheers at halftime, letting his students know that Division I crowds are held to a higher standard.

“Come on, Bulldogs, we’ve got to cheer in the second half. We’re in Division I now!” Machtley bellowed.

Last night, he said, was a huge milestone in the transformation of Bryant from a small, little-known school to a well-regarded university, and the basketball program will go a long way toward forging and promoting the school’s new image.

It gets tougher from here for Bryant, which plays 10 of its first 12 games on the road, including several against nationally ranked opponents and storied programs such as Maryland, Boston College and Providence College.

After an appearance in the Columbia Invitational Tournament in New York, the Bulldogs face No. 2-ranked Connecticut. That, the players said, will obviously be a challenge, but the pressure is all on UConn in a game like that.

“We’ve got nothing to lose. Play with no regrets, play like we’ve got nothing to lose,” said junior guard Chris Birrell.

They may not act star-struck at the idea of facing UConn, but O’Shea said his players are definitely facing a major adjustment.

“This move to Division I is a whole new feel. Just the fact that we had a pregame meal — this is the first time they ever had a pre-game meal, and they thought that was the biggest thing going. It’s nice to be around kids who are so appreciative,” O’Shea said.

Albany knows a thing or two about what Bryant is going through. Albany joined Division I in 1999, and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2006, earning a No. 15 seed. Coach Will Brown took over at Albany in 2002, and he knows Bryant has a long road ahead. But for its first night in the big time, Bryant performed admirably.

“I was impressed with every-thing that went on tonight from Bryant’s standpoint. They were well coached, their kids played hard, and they competed to the end,” Brown said.

He offered some advice, as well.

“Be patient. You need to be patient, and you need to be lucky. You have the biggest thing available that every kid wants — that’s playing time,” Brown said.

Bryant will get a chance to show Albany what it has learned over the next few weeks. After the UConn game, the Bulldogs play at Albany on Dec. 1.

dbarbari@projo.com