Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-0
Towson
1-1
Bison Tame Tigers 71-57 to Improve to 2-0
11/14/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2007
TOWSON, Md. - John Griffin scored a career-high 21 points and Justin Castleberry scored all 16 of his points in the second half to lead Bucknell to a 71-57 victory over Towson Wednesday night. The Bison won their road opener and improved to 2-0 on the season against a good Tigers squad that was coming off an 83-69 opening-night win over Loyola (Md.).
Josh Linthicum had his best night as a collegiate player, finishing with six points and nine rebounds, including a thunderous breakaway jam that punctuated a game-changing 20-6 second-half run. Patrick Behan had nine points and six rebounds, and G.W. Boon added eight points for the Bison, who are 2-0 for the second time in the last three years.
The Bison were playing for the first time in 17 years in the Towson Center, which was the site of Bucknell's 1987 and 1989 East Coast Conference championship victories. The Bison improved to 19-10 all-time in the building, thanks to outstanding defense and timely long-range shooting.
Bucknell shot 47.8 percent for the game and made 10 of 22 3-pointers, despite a 1-for-7 start. Defensively, the Bison held Towson to 33.9 percent shooting. Tim Crossin was 3-for-3 from 3-point range and scored 12 points, but the rest of the Towson team was 1-for-13 from the arc. Tony Durant, the older brother of former Texas star Kevin Durant, led the Tigers with 13 points, while Junior Hairston had 12 points and 10 rebounds one game after a 26-point, 21-rebound night against Loyola.
Towson led by as many as six at 15-9 as Bucknell struggled shooting the ball early on. Griffin missed a fourth straight 3-pointer to start the night, but Linthicum tipped it in to make it a 15-11 game, then the Bison really heated up from long range. Griffin finally got one to go at the 9:54 mark, his first of three in a row. Behan also hit two 3-pointers, and a Griffin free throw put the Bison ahead 29-21 with 2:12 left in the half.
C.C. Williams' layup with eight seconds left pulled Towson within four at 31-27, but Darryl Shazier answered with a hanging jumper in the lane at the buzzer to put Bucknell up by six at intermission.
Leading by only three at 35-32 in the early stages of the second half, Castleberry's acrobatic layup and ensuing free throw kicked off a 13-5 Bison run. Todd O'Brien made four straight free throws and Griffin snuck in for an offensive rebound and stick-back to make it 44-35.
Castleberry's 3-pointer pushed Bucknell's lead into double figures for the first time at 51-39, and after Rodney Spruill hit two free throws, Griffin kicked out to Boon for another trey and a 54-41 lead.
Griffin hit two free throws and Castleberry another trey to give the Bison their largest lead of 19 points at 60-41 with 7:04 to play.
Towson scored six straight points, all from Durant, to pull within 12 at 62-50, but Castleberry's third 3-pointer of the half stopped the run, giving Bucknell a 65-50 edge with 4:05 left.
Bucknell is back in action on Sunday at No. 23 Villanova at 5 p.m.
