Bucknell University
6-6
Robert Morris
3-7
Lalugba Leads Bison Men's Basketball Past Robert Morris, 66-53
1/7/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Boakai Lalugba scored 23 points and corralled 14 rebounds to lead Bucknell to a 66-53 victory over Robert Morris Tuesday evening in the next-to-last game in Davis Gymnasium.
Lalugba, the Patriot League's leading scorer and rebounder, made 8 of 10 shots from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to help Bucknell level its record at 6-6. Robert Morris dropped its fifth game in a row and fell to 3-7.
Chaz McCrommon led Robert Morris with 18 points.
The Bison trailed 33-28 early in the second half when Lalugba made a layup and converted a 3-point play to even the game. After a Bobby Davenport layup, Dan Blankenship and Kevin Bettencourt nailed successive 3-pointers to put Bucknell ahead to stay.
Robert Morris struggled offensively, shooting only 38.3 percent from the field in the game, but the Colonials hung around until the final four minutes. Bucknell never managed to stretch its lead to more than four until Lalugba caught a pass at midcourt against the Robert Morris press, turned and outran two defenders to the basket and converted another 3-point play. The basket gave Bucknell a 52-47 lead with 3:33 to play and started a 17-6 run.
Bucknell went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final 1:28 to salt the game away. Bucknell outscored Robert Morris 22-4 from the foul line.
Robert Morris led by as many as five at 25-20 late in the first half, but the Bison scored the last four points of the half, capped by Lalugba's buzzer-beater from the right baseline, to pull within one at 25-24.
Bucknell started slowly, missing its first five shots before finally scoring on Chris Rodgers' jumper 3:40 into the contest.
Lalugba, who now has 30 rebounds in his last two games, also had three assists in 31 minutes. Bettencourt (12 points) and Blankenship (10) also scored in double figures as the Bison outscored the Colonials 42-24 in the second half.
Maurice Carter, the Colonials' leading scorer at 19.6 points per game, was held to only 12 on 4-for-16 shooting. Robert Morris was 3-for-21 from 3-point range.
Bucknell opens Patriot League play on Saturday against American at 3:15 p.m. The game will be the last in Davis Gym, which opened in 1939. Bucknell moves into the new Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 15.
