Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
0-3
Saint Joseph's
3-0
Bucknell Men's Basketball Falls 63-53 at Saint Joseph's
11/19/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Ahmad Nivins had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead unbeaten Saint Joseph's to a 63-53 victory over Bucknell Sunday afternoon at sold-out Alumni Memorial Coliseum. Chris McNaughton scored 14 points and Darren Mastropaolo had a career-high 13 for the Bison, who dropped their third-straight hard-fought game to start the season.
The Bison, who had beaten Saint Joseph's in each of the last two seasons, whittled a 13-point halftime deficit down to four at the five-minute mark, but the hot-shooting Hawks had enough down the stretch. Pat Calathes scored 14 points and Rob Ferguson added 11 for Saint Joseph's, which shot 62.5 percent from the field in the first half and 52.8 percent for the game.
The Bison trailed 47-34 with 11 minutes to play before five straight points from Andrew Morrison started a 13-6 run. Mastropaolo had a 3-point play and local hero John Griffin hit his only 3-pointer of the day in the spurt. Abe Badmus' jumper pulled the Bison within 53-49 with 5:33 to play, and the Bison had a chance to get within two moments later but Badmus became the fourth different Bucknell player to have a layup rim out in the second half.
Calathes' baseline jumper stopped Bucknell's run of seven straight points, but McNaughton answered with a leftanded jump hook in the lane. Trailing 55-51, the Bison appeared to get another stop on a missed 3-pointer by Jawan Carter, but Carter tracked down his own offensive rebound. Later in the possession Calathes was fouled and made two free throws. That started a 5-0 run for Saint Joseph's, all from the line, as the Bison turned it over on two straight possessions.
Ferguson's free throws with 1:51 remaining made it 60-51, and the Bison never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
Bucknell led for the first 13:33 of the contest before the Hawks rallied late in the first half. The Bison scored the first six points of the game and led by as many as six on three other occasions before Saint Joseph's finished the half on a 25-6 run.
D.J. Rivera's free throws tied it for the first time at 19 with 6:27 left in the half, and after McNaughton's dunk momentarily put the Bison back in front, the Hawks scored eight straight points to move ahead for good. Garrett Williamson made two free throws, then Calathes hit a long 3-pointer to put Saint Joe's ahead for the first time at 24-21 with 4:52 left in the half.
Saint Joseph's did some of its best work with the shot clock about to expire. Early in the opening half Ferguson scored back-to-back baskets, one of them a 3-pointer, at the end of the shot clock. Then with the Hawks leading 24-21, Williamson pump-faked and drew a foul while shooting a 3-pointer. He made all three free throws to make it 27-21 with 3:37 remaining.
Five straight points from Nivins made it 32-22, and after freshman Patrick Behan scored his first career points on a floater in the lane, Carter canned a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 37-24 at halftime.
McNaughton was active early for the Bison. He four of the game's first six points and had 10 points at the half en route to a season-high 14.
Griffin, who starred at Saint Joseph's Prep and is the son of former Hawks' coach John Griffin Sr., had a tough shooting day, finishing 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-8 from 3-point range. He did have four assists, though, and now has 14 assists with only two turnovers on the season.
Bucknell shot 38.5 percent from the field and made only 3 of 15 from beyond the arc. Two seasons ago when the Bison won on Hawk Hill, they made 10 of 15 from 3-point range. Bucknell outrebounded Saint Joseph's 30-23.
Bucknell returns to action on Tuesday night against Penn State at the Bryce Jordan Center in State Collage.
