Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
13-13, 9-4PL
Holy Cross
12-14, 6-7PL
Bucknell's Seven-Game Winning Streak Ends at Holy Cross, 72-61
2/27/2004 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2004
WORCESTER, Mass. - Nate Lufkin scored 14 points and Jave Meade added 13 to lead Holy Cross to a 72-61 victory over Bucknell Friday night at the Hart Center. Kevin Bettencourt scored 21 for the Bison, whose seven-game winning streak came to an end.
Bucknell (13-13, 9-4) nearly erased all of a 17-point second-half deficit - it had a potential tying shot rim in and out with four minutes to play - and the Bison lost for the first time in the second half of Patriot League play.
The Bison fell into a three-way tie for second place in the Patriot League with Lafayette and American. Lehigh lost at Colgate Friday and maintained a one-game lead.
Bucknell trailed by as many as 17 points at 41-24 after Lufkin's layup to start the second half. But the Bison quickly rattled off eight straight points to get back in the game. Matt Quinn's short leaner made it a single-digit game at 55-46 with 9:03 left, and Quinn scored again on a driving layup to make it 57-52 with 6:41 left.
A Torey Thomas 3-pointer pushed the Crusaders' lead back to eight at 60-52, but a layup by Chris Niesz and three free throws from Bettencourt pulled the Bison within three at 60-57 with 4:19 left. Bucknell's defense came up with a stop on the next possession, and Bettencourt's potential tying 3-pointer rimmed in and out.
Meade put the Crusaders back up by five with an inside bucket, and after a missed layup at the other end, Lufkin's jumper from the foul line pushed it back to a seven-point game at 64-57 with 2:22 left.
Chris McNaughton's follow with 1:47 to play made it 64-59, but that would be the Bison's last field goal. Holy Cross scored six points from the free-throw line in the final minute while keeping Bucknell off the scoreboard.
Holy Cross made two big runs in the first half to assume a 39-24 halftime advantage. The Bison raced to a quick 12-4 lead behind two 3-pointers from Bettencourt, but the Crusaders answered with a 15-0 run over a seven-minute span. Keith Simmons' layup gave the hosts a 14-12 lead, and later Simmons finished a 3-point play to complete the run and make it 19-12.
John Clark's 3-pointer at the 4:51 mark brought Bucknell within a point at 22-21, but Holy Cross finished the half on a 17-3 run, with seven of its last nine points coming from the free throw line.
Holy Cross shot 40 free throws in the game, making 24, while the Bison were 18-for-27 from the line. Bucknell shot 37.7 percent from the field, while Holy Cross shot 40.4 percent.
Quinn scored nine points off the bench for the Bison, while McNaughton had six points and nine rebounds after playing only five first-half minutes due to foul trouble.
Meade scored his 1,000th career point for Holy Cross. Thomas and Simmons both scored 12 points off the bench.
Bucknell played without head coach Pat Flannery, who was home in Lewisburg recuperating from a successful medical procedure performed on Thursday.
Bucknell wraps up its regular season Sunday afternoon at Colgate at 1 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the YES Network. Holy Cross hosts Lehigh.
