Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Set to Host Lock Haven on Saturday Evening
11/3/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 3, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's basketball team squares off against a live opponent for the first time in 2005-06 this Saturday night when Lock Haven - the very first opponent in Bison basketball history -- visits Sojka Pavilion for an exhibition game beginning at 7 p.m.
Admission is free, however the Bucknell Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be joining forces with the Bison basketball program and the Union County Chapter of the Red Cross to collect financial donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.
Bucknell will be led by Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Chris McNaughton and senior co-captains Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt. The Bison return all five starters and 12 of 13 lettermen from last year's 23-10 squad that captured the Patriot League championship and defeated Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Lee scored a game-high 29 points on 11 of 13 shooting from the field in last Friday's Orange vs. Blue scrimmage at Sojka Pavilion. Other standouts from that intrasquad affair were McNaughton (15 points), freshman Jason Vegotsky (17 points, 4 3-pointers), sophomore Andrew Morrison (15 points, 10 rebounds, 6-for-7 from the field), sophomore Darren Mastropaolo (game-high 11 rebounds) and senior Tarik Viaer-McClymont (12 points, 5-for-5 from the field).
Lock Haven is looking to bounce back from a difficult 2004-05 season. The Eagles, a Division II program located only about an hour's drive west of Lewisburg, finished 4-23 overall and 2-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. Junior guard James Chappell (8.5 ppg) is the team's top returning scorer, and he is expected to be joined in the starting lineup by four freshmen.
Seventh-year head coach John Wilson's team visits Penn State for an exhibition game on Thursday night, prior to coming to Bucknell.
In regular-season play, Bucknell is 7-0 all-time against Lock Haven, with the last meeting an 85-77 Bison victory in 2000-01. Bucknell's very first intercollegiate basketball game came against Lock Haven on Feb. 14, 1896. The Bison held off the Eagles 16-14 in that one. Bucknell is now one of the three oldest Division I programs, joining Yale and Minnesota in their 111th seasons.
Following the Lock Haven contest, Bucknell opens its 2005-06 regular season on Nov. 18 at Rider. After a Nov. 22 game against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, the Bison host Yale in the home opener on Nov. 26.
For ticket information, please call 570-577-1000 or click HERE.
