Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bison Men Snatch Thrilling Overtime Victory Against Lehigh
2/21/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2001
LEWISBURG, PA - Sophomore forward Brian Werner (Rockville Centre, N.Y/Chaminade) scored a career-high 23 points, including a 60-foot heave at the buzzer that tied the game at 73-73, to lead Bucknell to a thrilling 82-78 overtime victory against Lehigh in Davis Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
After Ed Lacayo sank a pair of free throws to give the Mountain Hawks (12-14, 6-5 Patriot League) a 73-70 lead with 0:02 remaining, Bucknell (12-14, 4-8 Patriot League) inbounded the ball to Werner who took one dribble along the right sideline before letting the ball fly just before the horn sounded. The shot swished through the net 60-feet away sending the crowd into a frenzy and the game into the extra session.
Werner continued his hot hand on the first possession in overtime, sinking a 12-foot jumper to give the Bison the lead 75-73. After Lacayo tied the game on a layup, junior co-captain Bryan Bailey (Hempstead, N.Y./South Side) put Bucknell in front to stay with a driving layup with 3:16 remaining. Lehigh cut the lead to two at 80-78 with 1:07 remaining, but Bailey made a pair of free throws with 0:17 left to preserve the win.
Bucknell trailed by six with 0:35 left in regulation before Werner keyed the improbable comeback. After Bailey sank one-of-two at the line to cut the margin to five, 71-66, the Bison fouled Zlatko Savovic, an 89% free throw shooter, with 0:11 left. He missed both shots, and Bison forward Boakai Lalugba (East Orange, N.J./Bishop Francis Essex Catholic) immediately drove to the hoop and was fouled with 0:07 remaining. Lalugba converted on one of the two attempts, but the rebound went out of bounds to Bucknell. Werner caught the inbounds pass at the top of the key and promptly nailed a three-pointer to cut the margin to one, 71-70, with 0:04 left.
Bucknell used an 11-0 run early in the game to gain a 13-3 edge, and led 32-23 with 3:56 remaining in the opening half before Lehigh rallied. The Mountain Hawks scored eight points at the free throw line in a 10-2 outburst to cut the lead to one at 34-33 with 1:22 left. But layups by Lalugba and Dan Blankenship (Moundsville, W.Va./Wheeling Park) gave Bucknell a 38-33 lead at the break.
Lehigh opened the second half by outscoring the Bison 7-2 over the first 2:51 to knot the game at 40-40. A three-pointer by Matt Logie, one of six he hit on the night, gave the Mountain Hawks their first lead since the game's opening minute. Lehigh stretched the advantage to five, 45-40, before the Bison retaliated with a 6-0 run to regain the edge, 46-45 with 14:40 remaining. Another three by Logie with 5:54 left gave Lehigh the lead back at 62-60 and seemed to put the Mountain Hawks in control.
Werner added a career-high seven steals and five rebounds, while Bailey, Lalugba and Blankenship each finished in double-figures with 21, 13 and 11 points, respectively. Logie led the Lehigh attack with a game-high 25 points, including a six-for-10 performance from beyond the arc. Alan Goff added 13 and Ed Lacayo and Matt Crawford each chipped in with 12.
Bucknell will close out the regular season with a non-conference game at Albany on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Lehigh ends its regular season with a 3:00 tip-off at Navy on Saturday.
