Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy (PL Semifinals)
Navy Ousts Bucknell In Patriot League Men's Semifinal
3/4/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2001
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Navy used the defense of Robert Reeder and the offense of Kyle Barker and Chris Williams to defeat Bucknell on Sunday, 88-64, and earn a spot in the Patriot League Championship game.
Williams and Barker each scored 23 points, with Barker matching his career high for the Midshipmen, who improved to 19-11. They combined for 35 points in a 12 minute span late in the game, as Navy stretched its lead from 46-36 to 83-61 with 1:54 remaining. Williams had 19, and Barker 16 in that span.
Reeder's big contributions came in the first half, when he held Bucknell's Boakai Lalugba, who had scored 22 in the opening round, to only four. Lalugba finished with 14, as did Bryan Bailey, to lead Bucknell (14-15).
Reeder got in early foul trouble, picking up his second with 16:30 left in the opening half and Navy on top 10-7. He went to the bench, and Bucknell rallied to take a 14-13 lead, its only edge in the game. Reeder returned at 13:51, and over the next 8:13 the Midshipmen outscored the Bison 16-4, opening an 11-point margin. Reeder went back to the bench at 5:38, and Navy maintained that lead until the half.
A jumper by Bailey with 14:12 remaining cut Navy's lead to 44-36, the smallest of the second half, but Reeder and Williams combined for a four-point play to start Navy's final surge. Reeder scored at 13:55, and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Navy got the rebound and Williams hit a jumper at 13:50 to give the Midshipmen a 12-point lead. He and Barker would score 33 of Navy's next 35 points, with Barker hitting three 3-pointers and a 2-point field goal in a two minute span that put Navy ahead 67-47 with 9:24 left.
Williams, who had gone 2-for-13 in the opening game, was 2-for-5 in the first half, before making 8-of-10 in the second half. Barker, who had seven in the first half, missed only one of his six second half shots, and was perfect on four 3-pointers.
Navy advanced to the tournament finals for the fourth time in five years, and sixth in eight. The site of Friday's final depends on the result of the second semi-final, between Lehigh and top seed Holy Cross.
