Bucknell University
14-14
Lehigh (PL Quarterfinals)
16-12
Bucknell Men's Basketball Advances to PL Semifinals with 52-47 Win over Lehigh
3/8/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2003
Bucknell (14-14) advances to the tournament semifinals for the second straight year and 10th time in the 13-year history of the tournament. The Bison will battle top-seeded Holy Cross (24-4), a 58-40 winner over eighth-seeded Army in the tournament opener. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Forced to overcome a 25-17 halftime deficit after shooting only 30 percent in the opening frame. The Bison ratcheted up the defense after the break, particularly on Lehigh's high-scoring guard Matt Logie. Logie's 15th point of the day came on a baseline jumper two minutes into the second half, but Bucknell switched defenses, and with Blankenship guarding him, Logie did not score again until a tip-in with 13 seconds remaining.
Mike Cowgill's jumper with 16:27 remaining gave Lehigh (16-12) its largest lead of 10 points at 34-24, but the Mountain Hawks managed only two more field goals until the Logie tip-in, including a stretch of 10:14 without a basket from the floor.
Meanwhile, Bucknell's offense began to heat up behind the shooting stroke of Bettencourt, the newly crowned Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Bettencourt drained three consecutive 3-pointers to pull the Bison within three at 36-33. Boakai Lalugba's free throw with 7:00 left tied it at 38, and Ben Slater's free throws with 5:41 remaining gave Bucknell its first lead since 15-14.
With Lehigh in the midst of its 10-minute scoring drought, Bucknell completed a 25-6 run, stretching its lead to as many as nine at 49-40 as Bettencourt inserted his fifth 3-pointer of the day (in seven attempts) among six Blankenship free throws.
The Mountain Hawks made things interesting with seven quick points in the final 18 seconds, clawing within 50-47 on Logie's long trey with 4.8 ticks left. After a timeout, Bucknell was able to inbound to Blankenship, who drained two more from the stripe to seal the verdict.
Blankenship made a career-high nine free throws in 12 attempts, all coming in the final five minutes. After shooting only three free throws in the opening half, Bucknell was 13-for-20 in the second.
Bettencourt, the nine-time conference rookie of the week, tied his career high with five 3-pointers. Lalugba finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Logie scored a game-high 20 points in his final collegiate game. His backcourt partner, first-team all-conference guard Zlatko Savovic, was suspended by head coach Billy Taylor for "failing to meet the team's academic standards." Savovic, who averaged 14.6 ppg during the season, did not dress but was on the Lehigh bench.
Lehigh shot 38.9 percent in the contest compared to Bucknell's 36.4 percent. The Bison held a 35-34 rebounding edge.
Bucknell entered the game ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense at 58.7 ppg. It was the seventh time this season that the Bison held a team under 50 points.
In the semifinals, Bucknell will attempt to avenge a pair of regular season losses to Holy Cross. The Crusaders prevailed 69-47 in Worcester, Mass., on Feb. 2, and 54-43 at Sojka Pavilion on Feb. 28. The Crusaders and Bison also met in the semis last season, with Holy Cross pulling out a tense 64-57 victory.
