Bucknell University
21-3, 12-0
Lafayette
10-14, 4-7
No. 24 Bucknell Runs Past Lafayette 69-49 in First Game as Ranked Team
2/15/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2006
EASTON, Pa. - In its first-ever game as a nationally ranked team, No. 24 Bucknell got 14 points and 11 rebounds from Charles Lee in a 69-49 victory over Lafayette on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center. The Bison, 21-3 overall, are the first Patriot League team ever to start 12-0, and their 12-game winning streak is the program's longest since 1919.
Bucknell tied a school record with its 11th road win of the season, and their seven-game road winning streak is the team's longest since 1974-75. Kevin Bettencourt hit 4 of 6 3-point attempts and also scored 14 points for the Bison, while Chris McNaughton and Donald Brown added 12 apiece.
Andrei Capusan had 12 points and Bilal Abdullah 10 to lead the Leopards (10-14, 4-7).
Bucknell, which entered the national rankings for the first time in school history on Monday, outscored Lafayette 18-3 over the last 9:15 of the first half and went to the locker room with a 35-20 lead. The Bison shot 63.6 percent (14-22) in the first half but committed 14 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Leopards also committed 14 first-half turnovers, but they managed only one field goal over the last 9:27 of the half and shot 31.6 percent (6-19) from the floor.
Bilal Abdullah's 3-pointer tied the game at 17, but the Bison scored nine of the next 10 points to take control. Lee's steal and breakaway dunk made it 26-18, and Lee had another open-court jam in the final minute of the half to make it 35-20.
Lafayette's Pat Betley scored the first five points of the second half, but McNaughton scored six quick points in a 7-1 run that put the Bison up 42-26. Later, Donald Brown scored six straight points, the last two coming on a follow-up jam that made it 50-31 with 13:17 to play.
Bucknell led by as many as 25 at 67-42 after Brown's dunk with 2:16 to play.
The Bison, who have now beaten Lafayette six straight times, shot 57.8 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point range. Bucknell did finish with a season-high 23 turnovers, but the defense forced 16 and held the Leopards to 30.0 percent shooting.
The Bison take a break from Patriot League play on Saturday when they travel to Northern Iowa as part of "BracketBusters presented by eBay." The game will be televised live on ESPN2 at noon Eastern.
