Bucknell University Athletics
Orange Outlasts Blue 74-71 in Bucknell Intrasquad Men's Basketball Game
10/23/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 23, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Freshman Todd O'Brien scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Orange team past the Blue 74-71 Tuesday night in Bucknell's annual intrasquad men's basketball game. Patrick Behan scored 15 points and Darryl Shazier and Jason Vegotsky had 12 each for the winning side, while John Griffin led the Blue team with 22.
O'Brien, the 6'11" rookie center from New Holland, Pa., was impressive in his first live action for the Bison. He made 9 of 12 shots from the floor and 3 of 4 from the line, and he also blocked a pair of shots. He had 14 points and eight rebounds at the half.
Senior co-captain Rob Thomas finished with nine points and matched O'Brien's nine rebounds for the Orange team, which led 43-36 at the half and by as many as 12 in the second half. The Orange shot 53.1 percent from the field and outscored the Blue 19-5 from the free-throw line.
Griffin, another senior co-captain, made a game-high five 3-pointers in 13 attempts and finished 8-for-20 from the field. He also added seven assists, four steals and five rebounds.
Blue center Josh Linthicum had 16 points on 8 of 12 shooting to go with six rebounds, two assists and a block. Combined with O'Brien, the two opposing Bucknell centers finished with 37 points on 17 of 24 shooting.
Justin Castleberry scored 15 points, Stephen Tyree had 11 and freshman G.W. Boon had seven for the Blue team, which shot 42.0 percent from the field.
Both teams were sharp offensively in the first half, combining for only nine turnovers compared to 20 assists. While O'Brien and Linthicum were both effective in the low post scoring 14 and 10, respectively, in the first 20 minutes, both teams converted several fastbreak opportunities in an up-tempo half.
With limited substitutes on both sides, play was a bit more ragged in the second half, resulting in a combined 22 turnovers.
Trailing by 11 after Zach Evans' 3-point play with 5:40 to go, the Blue got back in it with a 7-0 run. Linthicum scored twice on reverse layups, and George Medrano made a nice feed to Tyree on a 3-on-1 break for a basket and foul to bring the Blue squad within 66-62.
The Blue had a chance to get closer, but Griffin's 3-point try rimmed out, and Behan made two free throws at the other end. Griffin's long trey with 24 seconds left made it 71-67, but O'Brien sealed it by making two free throws then blocking a Castleberry shot at the other end.
The game was tied five times in the first half before Orange took the lead for good at 23-21 on O'Brien's layup.
Both teams had student sideline coaches on the bench. Seniors Matt Saylor and Nick Young helped the Orange team to victory and earned bragging rights over Joey Kuterbach and Christina Tvardek.
Bucknell has an exhibition game against East Stroudsburg on Nov. 4 before opening the regular season on Nov. 10 against Albany.
