Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
1-0
Albany
0-1
Bucknell Men's Basketball Tops Albany 55-52 in Season Opener
11/10/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell senior co-captain John Griffin picked a great time to knock down his first field goal of the season, canning the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:08 to play in a 55-52 victory over two-time defending America East champion Albany Saturday night at sold-out Sojka Pavilion. Sophomores Patrick Behan and Stephen Tyree, two of Bucknell's four first-time starters, set career highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds, respectively.
Brian Lillis registered a game-high 20 points for Albany, including a rainbow bank shot from the top of the key as the shot clock expired that gave the Great Danes their very first lead of the night, 49-48 with 1:42 to play.
But at the other end Griffin, who was shadowed relentlessly all night by Albany's big backcourt, faced up his defender deep on the left wing and swished a 21-footer with five seconds left on the shot clock. The Bison got their biggest stop of the game at the other end when Jerel Hastings missed a contested layup, and Justin Castleberry tracked down the rebound.
After a timeout, Bucknell drained the shot clock as Castleberry drove across the lane, jump-stopped to allow his defender to pass, and knocked down a monumental 10-foot jumper that made it a two-possession game at 53-49 with only 13 seconds left.
John Iati (11 points) missed a long 3-pointer at the other end, and Castleberry grabbed another rebound and made two free throws with five seconds left to ice it. Josh Martin hit a long trey at the buzzer to end Bucknell's 7-0 run and make it a 3-point final.
Bucknell put on a long-range display a week ago in its exhibition game against East Stroudsburg, canning nine first-half 3-pointers and 12 total in a runaway victory. But against a starting backcourt that stood 6-5, 6-5, 6-8, the Bison struggled to get open outside looks and finished just 2-for-14 from the arc.
Inside, Behan shot 6-for-11 from the field and freshman center Todd O'Brien went 3-for-5 and scored eight points off the bench. Bucknell shot 39.5 percent from the floor but was stellar from the free throw line, making 19 of 24 (.792) on the night, including a 12-for-12 showing in the second half. The Bison finished with a 19-7 advantage from the line.
The Bison began the game on an 8-0 run, the first two points coming even before the opening tap. Griffin started things off with two free throws after an Albany player drew a technical foul for dunking during warmups. Tyree hit a jumper and two free throws and Behan drove the lane for a layup to make it 8-0 just 1:23 into the contest.
Albany pulled within two on two occasions later in the half, but O'Brien's fastbreak layup pushed the lead back to eight at 24-16. Behan's layup with 1:33 left gave the Bison their largest lead of the half, nine points at 28-19. But Iati hit one of his three 3-pointers to make it 28-22 at the half, and the Great Danes scored the first four points of the second half to get back within two.
Albany made it a one-point game four different times in the second half but could never take the lead until Lillis hit the bank shot with 1:42 left.
Albany shot 35.7 percent from the floor and 27.8 percent from 3-point range (5-18). Despite Tyree's big night on the glass, the Great Danes edged Bucknell 34-33 in the rebounding column.
The victory was Bucknell's 11th in a row at home, and it avenged an opening-night loss at Albany last season. The Bison take their 1-0 record on the road to Towson on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
