Bucknell University
10-3, 1-0PL
Navy
6-7, 0-1PL
Bench Leads Bucknell Men to 74-52 Win at Navy in Patriot League Opener
1/7/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2006
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Freshman Jason Vegotsky scored a career-high 19 points and was one of three Bucknell reserves to reach double figures as the Bison opened Patriot League play with a 74-52 victory over Navy on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall.
With the win Bucknell improved to 10-3 on the season and reached double-digit victories on the earliest date in school history. It was only the Bison's fifth win in 31 all-time games in Annapolis, and their first by more than seven points.
The story in this one was the Bucknell bench, which produced 41 of the team's 74 points and outscored Navy's reserves 41-13. Vegotsky canned 5 of 8 3-point tries and produced the highest scoring total by a Bison frosh since Donald Brown scored 22 points at Lehigh two seasons ago. Vegotsky entered the game as the league's top 3-point shooter at 60 percent, a figure that climbed with his performance against Navy (6-7).
Also off the bench Donald Brown logged a season-high 12 points with seven rebounds, and John Griffin had 10 points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals.
Vegotsky and Griffin hit a pair of 3-pointers each during a decisive 20-3 run that ended the first half. Kaleo Kina, who led Navy with 12 points, hit a 3-pointer at the 7:30 mark to give Navy a 23-19 lead, but the Midshipmen would manage only one more field goal the rest of the half -- and only nine more for the rest of the game - as Bucknell quickly took control.
Griffin hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 23-23, and Darren Mastropaolo made 1 of 2 free throws with 5:34 left to account for the final lead change of the night. Charles Lee's free throws capped a 12-0 run and gave Bucknell a 31-23 lead with 3:36 let in the half.
A trey by Bryce Brigham halted the run temporarily, but Vegotsky came in and connected on back-to-back threes a minute apart to make it 37-26. Lee then stole a cross-court pass and went in for a breakaway dunk, giving the Bison a 39-26 haltime lead.
A quick start to the second half extended the Bucknell scoring run to 36-7, and by the time Griffin and Vegotsky hit back-to-back baskets just over six minutes in, the Bison had a commanding 55-30 cushion. That would be the largest lead of the day, as Navy could get no closer than 18.
Bucknell scoring leader Chris McNaughton picked up two fouls in the game's first 2:22 and was held to only two field goals in three attempts in 19 minutes. He did hit 7 of 8 from the charity stripe and was Bucknell's fourth double-figure scorer with 11 points.
Lee scored all nine of his points in the first half and also added five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Kevin Bettencourt struggled from the field, hitting 3 of 12 shots, but he finished with eight points and moved into 10th place on Bucknell's career scoring list (1,332).
Bucknell dominated on the glass, outrebounding Navy 47-30. Guards Bettencourt and Griffin both collected eight rebounds, while the Bison bench grabbed 22 collectively.
Defensively the Bison held the Patriot League's top scoring team to its lowest scoring total since a 72-49 loss to Georgetown in its season opener. The Midshipmen, who came in averaging 74.2 points per game, shot a season-low 29.1 percent from the field.
Bucknell shot 43.1 percent overall and made 9 of 28 from 3-point range and 15 of 20 from the free-throw line.
Corey Johnson, who returned after a nine-game absence due to injury, scored 11 points for the Mids, while Carlton Baldwin, filling in for injured forward Matt Fannin, added nine. Brigham also scored nine, all on 3-pointers.
