Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-7
Penn State
3-6
Hot-Shooting Penn State Runs Past Bison Cagers, 78-57
12/22/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2001
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Brandon Watkins scored 20 points and Sharif Chambliss made 5 of 7 3-point attempts en route to a 17-point afternoon, leading Penn State to a 78-57 victory over Bucknell before 6,608 fans at Bryce Jordan Center on Saturday.
Penn State (3-6), which came into the game shooting just 38.8 percent as a team, shot 52.1 percent against the Bison, making 10 of 19 from behind the 3-point arc.
Bucknell (2-7), playing for the first time in 11 days, received a game-high 22 points, six rebounds and five steals from Bryan Bailey, who was back in the starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 20 due to an ankle injury. The Bison were slowed by 21 turnovers and 33.3 percent shooting in the second half.
The Bison trailed by only seven at 45-38 after Bailey's long trey with 15:54 to play, but the Nittany Lions embarked on a 15-1 run over the next 6:05 to make it a 60-39 rout. Five different Lions scored during the outburst, which was capped by Ndu Egekeze's lone field goal of the day with 9:51 remaining.
Penn State held Bucknell without a field goal for nearly eight minutes in the second half and led by as many as 25 points at 75-50 with 3:26 remaining.
Penn State took a 10-point lead in a competitive first half at 31-21 following Watkins 3-pointer with 4:51 to play. The Bison used a 6-0 run to claw back within four at 33-29, but Jan Jagla made a free throw and layup in the final 12 seconds to give the Nittany Lions a 38-31 halftime lead.
Boakai Lalugba was the only other Bison to score in double figures, netting 10 points.
Darren Tielsch, held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season, scored 14 points off the bench for Penn State.
The Bison return to action on Dec. 28-29 at the South Florida Shootout. Bucknell will face host South Florida on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m.
Bucknell (57)
Slater 1-4 4-4 6, Lalugba 4-7 2-4 10, Quinn 1-4 0-0 3, Blankenship 2-2 0-0 5, Bailey 6-12 7-8 22, Skornik 0-0 0-0 0, Rodgers 1-3 0-0 2, Santos 0-0 0-0 0, Webber 1-2 0-0 2, Glover 0-1 0-0 0, Niesz 0-1 1-2 1, Werner 0-5 2-6 2, Hardenbergh 0-1 0-0 0, Bennett 1-2 1-2 4. Totals 17-44 17-26 57.
Penn State (78)
Jagla 3-5 1-2 7, Smith 3-9 1-2 8, Tate 1-4 1-2 4, Watkins 7-11 4-6 20, Chambliss 5-10 2-2 17, Krimmel 2-2 0-1 4, Bekale 0-1 0-0 0, Fellows 0-0 0-0 0, Tielsch 2-4 9-10 14, Egekeze 1-1 0-0 2, McDougald 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-48 18-25 78.
Halftime: Bucknell 31. Penn State 38. 3-Point Field Goals: Bucknell 6-15 (Bailey 3-6, Blankenship 1-1, Bennett 1-2, Blankenship 1-3, Webber 0-1, Niesz 0-1, Hardenbergh 0-1). Penn State 10-19 (Chambliss 5-7, Watkins 2-3, Tate 1-2, Tielsch 1-2, Smith 1-2, Jagla 0-1). Rebounds: Bucknell 28 (Bailey 6). Penn State 30 (Krimmel, Tielsch 4). Assists: Bucknell 10 (Blankenship, Hardenbergh 2). Penn State 14 (Watkins, Chambliss 4). Total Fouls: Bucknell 18. Penn State 21. Fouled Out: None. Att: 6608.
