Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-6
UMBC
4-3
Balanced Effort Leads Bison Men's Basketball Past UMBC, 70-67
12/11/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2001
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Matt Quinn matched his career high with 16 points and scored the game-clinching bucket with 22 seconds remaining to lift Bucknell to a 70-67 victory over Maryland-Baltimore County in a non-league tilt Tuesday in Davis Gym.
The game was tightly contested from start to finish, with a total of 10 ties and 15 lead changes. Neither team led by more than seven points all night.
Bucknell, now 2-6, got a boost from the return of All-Patriot League guard Bryan Bailey and forward Brian Werner. Bailey, who had missed the last four-plus games with an ankle injury, came off the bench and had five points in 15 minutes. Werner, making his season debut after recovering from a foot injury, was even more productive with 11 points and seven rebounds in 17 reserve minutes.
Peter Mulligan scored a career-high 31 points for UMBC (4-3), 21 coming in the first half.
UMBC did not gain its first lead of the night until the 12:05 mark of the second half, when an 8-0 surge lifted the Retrievers to a 54-48 edge with 9:17 to play. But Quinn, who would score nine points over the last nine minutes, drained a 3-pointer from the left corner and driving layup to make it 54-53 with 8:04 left.
The lead changed hands seven times over the ensuing five minutes, with the Bison taking the lead for good at 66-65 on Quinn's put-back with 3:09 remaining. Bucknell still led 68-67 when Quinn drove baseline for a scoop shot with 21.9 seconds showing on the clock.
UMBC had two shots to tie in the waning seconds. Kareem Washington missed an open three from the right corner, but the Retrievers retained possession after a scramble for the rebound went out of bounds with 5.6 seconds left. Mulligan's off-balance 23-footer from the left wing was off the mark as time expired.
Bucknell led by as many as seven in the first half after Ben Slater's layup made it 18-11. UMBC fought back to tie the game at 35-all at halftime.
The Bison shot a season-high 51.9 percent from the field en route to a season-high 70 points. Bucknell committed only four turnovers in the second half after committing 11 against UMBC's full-court pressure in the opening 20 minutes.
Despite foul trouble, Boakai Lalugba scored 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting from the field for Bucknell, while Slater just missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, career bests in both categories.
UMBC shot only 33.3 percent in the second half and 41.8 percent for the game. Will McClurkin had 10 rebounds as UMBC gained a slim 37-36 edge on the boards.
Bucknell returns to action on Dec. 22 at Penn State, while UMBC visits Rutgers this Saturday.
