Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men Travel to Charleston for Post-Christmas Tourney
12/24/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 24, 2003
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Envigorated by a 15-point win followed by a few days of home cooking, the Bison return to the hardwood this week against an unfamiliar field at the Saturn of North Charleston Shootout. Bucknell has never before faced its first-round opponent, Norfolk State, nor has it ever squared off against either of its possible second-round opponents in College of Charleston or LIU. Last Monday the Bison went into the Christmas break with a not-so-easy 77-62 victory over previously unbeaten Ursinus. Now 2-6 on the season, Bucknell this week will be looking for its first win away from home in its first trip to the state of South Carolina in 21 years. The host Cougars have to be considered the tourney favorites, as they bring in a seven-game winning streak since dropping their season opener 66-62 at Auburn. College of Charleston is 17-1 all-time in its own tournament, claiming the last five titles in a row. Norfolk State struggled before Christmas, dropping 7 of 8 contests. The Spartans' lone win was a 54-50 home decision over Towson on Dec. 6. Most recently, NSU lost 73-53 at Western Illinois. LIU comes in at 3-5 following an 80-54 loss at Rutgers on Dec. 20.
key stats
* Bucknell leads the Patriot League in rebound margin at +6.5 after outrebounding Ursinus 56-29 last week.
* Bucknell's bench is averaging 20.9 ppg this season.
* The Bison are actually shooting much better on the road than at home this season. (FG% Home/Road: .438/461; 3FG% Home/Road: .212/.380).
* Bucknell's last three opponents made only 19 of 74 first-half FG attempts (.257).
last time out ... bison wear down bears with inside game
At Sojka Pavilion on Dec. 22, Bucknell dominated the paint and overcome some frigid outside shooting to outlast Ursinus 77-62. The Bison missed their first 10 3-point tries and finished 5-for-27 from long range against the Bears' 2-3 zone, but Bucknell controlled the glass 56-29 and outscored its smaller opponent 36-16 in the paint. Chris Niesz recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Charles Lee (13) and Kevin Bettencourt (12) also scored in double figures for the Bison, who overcame a 37-point night from Ursinus guard Dennis Stanton.
bucknell in tournament action
The Bison have participated in 50 in-season tournaments dating back to 1956, and they have a 45-57 (.441) record in tourney games. Bucknell has five tournament titles - the 1956 Hofstra Tournament, the 1962 Downeast Classic (Bangor, Maine), the 1970 Albright Holiday Tournament, the 1988 Naismith-Holiday Inn Classic (Springfield, Mass.) and the 1999 Pepsi/Marist Classic. Last season Bucknell split four games at a pair of tournaments. The Herd beat Columbia to advance to the championship game of the Red Auerbach Colonial Classic, where it lost an 80-77 heartbreaker to host George Washington. One year ago this week the Bison lost to Arizona State and defeated UC Santa Barbara at the azcentral.com Hoops Classic in Tempe.
bison in the palmetto state
One of those 50 tournament appearances marked the last time Bucknell appeared in the state of South Carolina. In 1982, the Bison visited Clemson for the IPTAY Tournament. After falling 85-73 to the host Tigers, Bucknell dropped a 68-67 double-overtime thriller to Furman in the consolation game.
will warmer climate will lead to warmer shooting?
Bucknell broke for the Christmas holiday mired in a long-range shooting funk that stretches back three games. The Bison have made only 12 of 67 (.179) 3-point attempts during that span after ranking among the Patriot League's best shooting teams prior to that dry spell. Unexpectedly, sophomore sharpshooter Kevin Bettencourt has been caught up in the team-wide slump. On Dec. 3 Bettencourt set Bucknell and Patriot League records with 11 3-pointers - the most in the nation this season - en route to a 42-point night against Saint Francis (Pa.). But in the three games since his 11-for-16 showing against the Red Flash, Bettencourt is just 4-for-23 (.174) from 3-point range.
cleaning the glass
Bucknell has outrebounded its last three opponents by a whopping 144-82 margin and now leads the Patriot League in rebound margin at +6.5. Interestingly, Bucknell has received extremely balanced rebounding and has no player ranked in the top nine among the league's individual rebounding leaders. Chris Niesz leads the team with a 4.9 rpg average, but five players grab at least 3.5 rpg. While they don't have a dominant inside rebounder yet, the Bison are fortunate to boast an excellent rebounding backcourt, led by guards Charles Lee (4.8) and Kevin Bettencourt (3.5).
still adjusting to their new rims
In one of the odder statistics associated with Bucknell, the Bison have struggled mightily shooting from the outside in their new home arena - Sojka Pavilion. The team has made only 18 of 85 (.212) 3-point attempts at home this season, and since moving into Sojka on Jan. 15, 2003, the Bison are 55 of 192 (.286) from beyond the arc. On the road during that span, Bucknell is 99 for 273 (.363).
free throw resurgence
While Bucknell's near-upset of then-third-ranked Michigan State on opening night made national headlines (the Bison led with just over 5:00 to play), so did its 1-for-17 free-throw ledger. The Bison have proven that to be a complete fluke, however, as they are a solid 92-for-120 (.767) from the stripe since leaving East Lansing.
lending a helping hand
Bucknell leads the Patriot League in assists per game at 15.1, despite ranking in the middle of the pack in scoring offense. Of Bucknell's 192 field goals this season, 121 (63.0%) have been tagged by an assist.
