Bucknell University
16-7, 7-3
American
13-9, 6-4
Bucknell Men Back in Win Column, 65-52 over American
2/11/2005 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Kevin Bettencourt scored 20 points on 5-for-6 3-point shooting to help lead Bucknell to its 12th consecutive Patriot League home victory, 65-52 over American before 3,230 fans at Sojka Pavilion on Friday evening.
Charles Lee had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bison, who earned a split in the season series with American and maintained at least a share of second place at 7-3 in the Patriot League (16-7 overall). The Eagles, led by 13 points from Linas Lekavicius, fell to 13-9, 6-4.
Bucknell won this one with outstanding defense and timely 3-point shooting. The Bison were 10-for-19 from 3-point range, paced by Bettencourt's 5-for-5 start. Chris Niesz also drained both of his long-range tries and finished with a season-high nine points.
On the defensive end, Bucknell held American to its second-lowest point total of the season, just one more than the Eagles scored in a 64-51 loss at Missouri on Jan. 4. American shot only 28.6 percent from the field in the first half and 38 percent in the game while making only 3 of 16 3-point attempts.
The Bison limited Patriot League scoring leader Andre Ingram (15.9 ppg) to only four points on 2-for-12 shooting, while second-leading point producer Jason Thomas (12.6 ppg) had five points on 2-for-9 accuracy.
Bucknell never trailed in this one and parlayed a quick 7-0 start into a 35-22 halftime lead. Bettencourt hit a 28-foot jumper at the end of the shot clock, then followed a Lee 3-pointer with a steal and dunk for a 3-point play to give the Bison its first double-digit lead at 21-11 at the 7:34 mark of the first half.
Bettencourt drained another trey to close the first half scoring, and he swished his fourth of five in a row on the first possession of the second half to make it 38-22.
The Bison went four minutes without a field goal but was outscored only 5-2 over that span. A 3-pointer by John Griffin and a 12-foot jumper by John Clark sparked an 8-0 run that made it 49-30 with 11:36 left.
American closed within 13 at 61-48 on Sekou Lewis' tip-in with 3:30 left, and the Eagles had a chance to pull within 10 moments later but Matej Cresnik rimmed out an open 3-pointer from the left wing. Chris McNaughton, who finished with 11 points, settled things down for the Bison with a turnaround baseline jumper with 2:20 left.
Seven days after breaking the Patriot League record by making all 20 free-throw attempts in a win at Lafayette, the Bison made 19 of 22 against the Eagles. Seven different Bison made at least one free throw.
Bucknell outrebounded American 35-25 and offset 20 turnovers by coming up with 10 steals, including four from Lee.
Bettencourt continued his torrid 3-point shooting. He is now 21-for-37 (.568) over his last four games and has pulled within 10 of the Bucknell career record. Bettencourt has 196 career treys, 10 shy of 1993 graduate Mike Bright, who was in attendance on Friday.
Bucknell returns to action on Sunday afternoon when it hosts Navy at 2 p.m. American visits Colgate on Sunday.
