Bucknell University
5-7
Central Arkansas
5-7
Bucknell Falls to Central Arkansas at Pepsi Marist Classic, 50-48
12/29/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2006
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marcus Pillow's long-range aerial display helped lead Central Arkansas to a 50-48 upset of Bucknell in the first round of the Pepsi Marist Classic on Friday night at the McCann Center. Pillow hit six 3-pointers to account for all of his game-high 18 points, the last a go-ahead trey with 20 seconds left.
Jason Vegotsky led Bucknell (5-7) with 10 points and was almost the hero after his go-ahead 4-point play put the Bison ahead by a point with 46 seconds left, but Pillow played the role of spoiler with four 3-pointers in the final 6:31 of the game.
Central Arkansas (5-7) slowed the pace of play all night, draining the shot clock on most of its offensive possessions. The Bears came into the game shooting only 28.6 percent from 3-point range, but they connected on nine in 19 attempts for a 47.4 percent showing, many of them coming at the end of the shot clock.
Five straight Bears field goals were 3-pointers during one first-half stretch, and two straight Pillow treys gave them a 23-16 lead. After a Rob Thomas jumper for Bucknell, Mitch Rueter scored just before the buzzer to make it 25-18 at the half.
Bucknell came out hot in the second half, scoring nine straight points to retake the lead. Vegotsky tied it at 25 with a 3-pointer, and Donald Brown put the Bison ahead with a drive and dunk. That was the first of seven second-half lead changes.
Bucknell led 35-34 at the 10-minute mark, but the Bears answered with seven straight points, highlighted by a Pillow 3-pointer, to go up 41-35. Chris McNaughton followed with a 3-point play - his only field goal of the night - to cut it to 41-38 with 4:39 left, but Pillow came back with another dagger 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to make it 44-38 with 4:05 left.
The Bison defense stiffened, allowing them to score six straight points to tie it. McNaughton made two free throws, Griffin drove baseline for a layup and Brown drew a foul after stealing an inbounds pass and made both from the line.
As soon as the Bison tied it, however, Pillow answered right back with another 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock, putting the Bears ahead 47-44 with 1:13 to play.
Bucknell faced a dwindling shot clock at the other end when Badmus penetrated and passed back to Vegotsky on the left wing, and Vegotsky canned the 3-pointer while drawing a foul. He made the free throw to put the Bison up 48-47 with 46 seconds left.
After Pillow hit his go-ahead trey from the top of the key with a hand in his face, Bucknell had a final possession. Central Arkansas knocked the ball out of bounds with 3.3 seconds left, and both teams used timeouts. Bucknell inbounded to Griffin in the left corner, but his turnaround 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.
The Bison shot only 39.5 percent for the game and were outrebounded (27-22) for only the fourth time this season. Bucknell committed a season-low nine turnovers, including only three in the second half. Brown finished with nine points for the Bison, while Badmus and Griffin had seven each. Griffin was held without a 3-pointer for only the second time this season.
Bucknell will play in the consolation game of the Pepsi Marist Classic on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Northern Illinois.
