Bucknell University
19-3, 10-0PL
American
7-15, 3-6PL
Bucknell Men Improve to 10-0 in Patriot League with 74-57 Win over American
2/8/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Chris McNaughton scored 16 points to lead red-hot Bucknell to its 10th consecutive victory, all in Patriot League play, 74-57 over visiting American on Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison are now 19-3 overall, 10-0 in the conference, and have not lost since Jan. 2 at Duke.
Charles Lee added 15 points, six rebounds and three steals for Bucknell, which shot 69 percent from the field in the second half and 58 percent on the night. Kevin Bettencourt tallied 11 points and Jason Vegotsky picked up 10 on perfect shooting - 3-for-3 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the line.
Derrick Mercer also made all of his shots, including three 3-pointers, and was the only American player in double figures with 13 points. The Eagles fell to 7-15, 3-6 with the loss, despite some hot shooting (8 of 15) from long range.
Bucknell dominated the glass, outrebounding the Eagles 28-16, with 12 of the Bison's boards coming on the offensive end. Like American, Bucknell also shot very well from the arc, making 8 of 13.
Lee scored nine of Bucknell's first 11 points of the night, but the Bison didn't take control of this one until midway through the first half. After Garrison Carr's 3-pointer gave the Eagles a 17-16 lead, McNaughton scored eight points in a 14-1 run.
McNaughton hit a short hook shot for the final lead change of the night at the 10:48 mark. After Vegotsky stole a pass and went the distance for a layup, McNaughton put back a missed 3-pointer by Bettencourt, he scored inside off a Vegotsky feed, then he spun to the baseline for a reverse layup that made it 26-18. Two free throws by Abe Badmus completed the run and gave Bucknell its first double-digit lead.
Mercer ended American's 6:30 field-goal drought with a 3-pointer, but after Vegotsky answered with a trey at the other end the Bison had a double-figure advantage the rest of the way. In the closing minutes of the half Donald Brown excited the crowd with a follow-up jam after a missed dunk attempt by Lee. Badmus set up the play by stripping Mercer at the top of the key and then diving to slap the ball forward to Lee for a fast break.
Bettencourt's 3-pointer with 39 seconds left gave Bucknell a 40-26 lead at the half. American got as close as 11 at 45-34 on a 3-pointer by Andre Ingram and a 3-point play by Arvydas Eitutavicius, but a McNaughton layup and back-to-back baskets by Lee pushed it back to a 17-point lead at 51-34 and ended any thoughts of an American comeback.
Bucknell's largest lead was 23 points (70-47) after Bettencourt and Badmus hit free throws when the Eagles were whistled for a foul and technical foul with 5:38 to play.
The Bison swept the season series from American for the first time since the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001-02. At 19-3 Bucknell has matched the best 22-game start in school history, equaling the feat of the 1983-84 team, and the Bison are only the second team in Patriot League history to start 10-0.
Bucknell has won 14 straight games against Patriot League foes and 22 in a row against league competition at home. It was also its eighth straight overall home win dating back to a Dec. 6 loss to Villanova at Sojka Pavilion.
In other Patriot League action, Lehigh defeated Navy and Holy Cross toppled Army, so Bucknell maintains its 1.5-game lead on Lehigh and 2.5-game lead on Holy Cross.
The Bison and Crusaders meet on Saturday afternoon at the Hart Center, the site of Bucknell's Patriot League Championship victory last March.
