Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-4
Saint Francis (Pa.)
2-3
Bucknell Men's Basketball Tops Saint Francis (Pa.) 60-56 with Dramatic Comeback
11/29/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 29, 2006
LORETTO, Pa. - In one of its most stirring comebacks in recent memory, Bucknell erased a 15-point first-half deficit, then closed the game on a 14-2 run over the final 2:42 to shock Saint Francis (Pa.) 60-56 on Wednesday night at DeGol Arena. Donald Brown scored 14 points and Chris McNaughton shook off a tough night by hitting the game-winning basket with 40 seconds to play, giving the Bison (2-4) their second straight win.
Jason Vegotsky hit one of the team's two critical 3-pointers in the final minutes and finished with 11 points, while Abe Badmus hit 10, the last three coming at the free-throw line to ice the improbable victory.
Bassirou Dieng, who had 13 points all season coming in, scored 14 to lead the Red Flash (2-3).
After trailing by as many as 15 in the first half and by 10 at the break, the Bison stormed back with a 12-2 run to start the second half. Brown had eight of those points, six coming on a pair of 3-point plays. The latter tied the game at 34-all just 4:58 into the half.
Bucknell had a chance to take its first lead of the night moments later when Darren Mastropaolo went to the line for two free throws. He missed both, but Brown corralled the rebound. Vegotsky and Justin Castleberry both had 3-pointers rim out on the same possession, and the Bison wouldn't enjoy their first lead until much later.
Chris Berry hit two free throws at the other end, then made Saint Francis' first field goal of the half at the 13:18 mark to put the Red Flash back up by four. Later, Cale Nelson and Dieng hit back-to-back treys to make it 46-39.
The Bison drew within three on Vegotsky's long jumper, and it was just a four-point game when Devin Sweetney scored four straight points to put Saint Francis back up by eight at 54-46 with 2:55 left.
Bucknell had plenty of fight left, however. Brown's third 3-point play of the half and left-corner 3-pointers from John Griffin and Vegotsky made it a one-point game at 56-55. After Nelson got stuck in the paint and threw the ball away, McNaughton hit a short hook shot with 40 seconds to play, giving Bucknell it's very first lead of the night.
After Brown deflected an entry pass out of bounds, Saint Francis tried to throw a long inbounds pass back near mid-court, but Badmus intercepted and was fouled. He made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 58-56.
Sweetney missed a long top-of-the-key 3-pointer, and Badmus got good position for the rebound. Saint Francis tipped the ball out-of-bounds, and, reminiscent of last season's NCAA Tournament win over Arkansas, Badmus hit two free throws with three seconds left to make it a four-point game.
Defense was the key to the second-half comeback. Bucknell held the Red Flash to only five field goals in 22 attempts (22.7 percent) and forced 11 turnovers. The Bison held leading scorer J.R. Enright, who had eight first-half points, to no points and only one rebound in the second half.
Saint Francis jumped on the Bison right out of the gates, scoring the first 11 points of the game. Enright had an elbow jumper and a dunk to open the scoring, and Dieng scored inside then knocked down his first 3-point attempt of the season. Nelson's transition layup made it 11-0.
Bucknell couldn't buy a bucket in the opening minutes, missing three layups and two tip-in attempts during Saint Francis' run.
The Bison answered with seven straight points, capped by Vegotsky's 3-pointer, but the Red Flash held Bucknell without another field goal for more than nine minutes, and a 12-1 run gave them a 23-8 lead at the 8:24 mark.
Badmus hit a 3-pointer to end the field-goal drought, and Badmus' free throws at the 4:42 mark brought Bucknell within eight at 23-15. Nelson scored four straight points to push the home team's lead back to 12 before Griffin's jumper in the lane made it 32-22 at the half.
The Bison had 10 first-half turnovers and shot only 29.2 percent from the floor (7-24). They rallied to shoot 52.0 percent in the second half and finished the game at 40.8 percent.
After playing four straight games on the road, the Bison return home on Saturday to face Northern Iowa. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
