Bucknell University
3-4
Penn
3-2
Penn Topples Bison Men's Basketball, 65-52
12/1/2004 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2004
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Kevin Bettencourt scored a game-high 16 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome a slow start in Bucknell's 65-52 loss to Penn on Wednesday night at The Palestra. Ibrahim Jaaber scored 14 and had seven steals for the Quakers, who forced 25 turnovers and held the Bison to 37.8 percent shooting from the field.
Bucknell fell to 3-4 on the season, while the Quakers improved to 3-2 with their 19th straight victory over a Patriot League team. Penn outrebounded the Bison 39-33, with 17 boards coming at the offensive end.
Penn used a 14-2 run right out of the starting gate and another 10-0 later in the first half to sprint to a 38-20 halftime lead. The Quakers led 4-2 when Begley converted a four-point play and Osmundson drained back-to-back 3-pointers for 10 points in a span of just 1:08.
Consecutive treys by John Clark and Abe Badmus cut a 22-7 deficit to 22-13 with 8:13 left in the half, but Steve Danley scored six points in Penn's 10-0 run that widened the gap to 32-13.
Bucknell was hurt by turnovers (12) and off shooting (6-23) in the opening half. Penn scored 16 of its 38 first-half points off Bison miscues.
The Bison scored the first four points of the second half on Badmus' steal and layup and a short jumper by Chris McNaughton. But the Quakers answered with seven straight points to give Penn its largest lead to that point, 21 points at 45-24.
With McNaughton on the bench with four fouls and Charles Lee having an off night with just one field goal, the resilient Bison battled their way back into the game, outscoring Penn 17-5 over a 10-minute span. Bettencourt hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 9-0 run that closed Bucknell within 45-33 with 12:02 to play. Donald Brown and Tarik Viaer-McClymont converted 3-point plays and Bettencourt's open-court layup with 8:12 left reduced Bucknell's margin to single digits at 50-41.
Two free throws by Ibrahim Jaaber and a put-back by Begley stemmed the rally, and the Bison never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
The Bison face another Ivy League foe on the road on Saturday when they visit Yale at 4:30 p.m.
