Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Visits Richmond Monday Night
12/22/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2008
WHAT: Bucknell (3-6) vs. Richmond (5-5)
WHERE: Robins Center, Richmond, Va.
WHEN: Monday, December 22, 2008, 7 p.m.
RADIO: Eagle 107 and SportsJuice.com
TV: None
STREAMING VIDEO: richmondspiders.com
LIVE STATISTICS: GameTracker
COMPLETE PRESS NOTES 
With a Victory over Richmond, Bucknell Would ...
About the Game
Two teams that have not met since 1951 square off on Monday night when Bucknell travels to Richmond. After not playing a game for 11 days, Bucknell plays for the second time in three days. The Bison came out of the final exams break on a strong note, rallying in the second half to beat Drexel 81-75 on Saturday evening. Patrick Behan (13.6 points per game) and Justin Castleberry (13.3 ppg) both hit the 20-point mark in that game, and they continue to be Bucknell's top two scorers. Bryan Cohen, who had 16 on Saturday, averages 10.9 ppg. After hitting the 80-point mark for the second time this season, the Bison now average 66.9 ppg while allowing 74.4. Richmond comes in with a 5-5 record, but the five losses are all to strong teams in Syracuse, Bradley, Old Dominion, VCU and Wake Forest. In the most recent game against the Demon Deacons on Friday, the Spiders fell 86-79 at home, despite 21 points from Kevin Anderson and 18 from David Gonzalvez. That high-scoring duo both averages better than 17 points per game. Gonzalvez is shooting 50.0% (23-46) from 3-point range, and Richmond has hit more than half its shots (.505) on the season. The Spiders have made 21 more treys than their opponents.
How to Get the Game
The Bucknell-Richmond game will not be televised, however live video can also be purchased through the Richmond athletics Web site at richmondspiders.com. The game can be heard locally on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3 FM), with Doug Birdsong and Ed Sigl on the call. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before tip-off. The audio feed is available free of charge via BucknellBison.com and SportsJuice.com.
Bucknell vs. Richmond Series Notes
Bucknell vs. The Atlantic 10
Bucknell is 33-88 (.273) all-time against the teams that currently comprise the Atlantic 10. The Bison are 5-29 vs. Temple, 4-16 vs. La Salle, 3-17 vs. St. Joseph's, 7-2 vs. George Washington, 5-8 vs. Fordham, 3-5 vs. Duquesne, 3-5 vs. Rhode Island, 1-4 vs. St. Bonaventure, 1-0 vs. Saint Louis, 1-0 vs. Xavier, 0-1 vs. Richmond and 0-1 vs. Dayton. Bucknell has never played Charlotte or Massachusetts. Bucknell is 4-3 against the A-10 since the start of the 2004-05 season, however, including two wins over St. Joseph's, a big victory at Xavier, and a 67-66 win over La Salle last season. The Bison will play a third A-10 team on Dec. 30, when St. Bonaventure visits Sojka Pavilion.
Last Time Out
After struggling at both ends of the floor in the opening 20 minutes, Bucknell turned in perhaps it best half of the year in the second half and rallied past Drexel 81-75 on Saturday. The Bison trailed by eight at the half and by 11 early in the second stanza, but they exploded for a Sojka Pavilion-record 54 points in the second half to win their second in a row. Patrick Behan scored 22 points and Justin Castleberry scored all 20 of his points in the second half for the Bison, who shot 59.3% in the second period. The Bison made 5 of 7 3-point attempts and held the Dragons to 34.1% shooting after the break.
Inside the Drexel Boxscore
Bison Thrive on Short Rest
This will be the first time this season the Bison have played on just one day of rest, but the team has thrived in those situations in recent years. Bucknell has won five straight games on short rest, including a perfect 3-0 mark last season.
Close Games
With the exception of Bucknell's road games against Atlantic Coast Conference foes Wake Forest and Maryland, every game this season has come down to the wire. Of the six non-ACC games, three have been decided in overtime and the other three by four, three, three and six points, respectively.
Tough Schedule
Bucknell's first nine opponents have a combined record of 48-33 (.593) through Wednesday's games. Wake Forest, which is now ranked No. 10 nationally, heads the list with a perfect 10-0 record. Only two of those nine teams have losing records. The remaining five teams on Bucknell's non-conference schedule currently have a 24-25 (.490) record.
Vegotsky Back
Senior Jason Vegotsky had offseason thumb surgery, then reaggrivated the injury against Saint Francis (Pa.) in the third game of the year. After sitting out five games, he returned to action against Drexel on Saturday and scored seven points in 12 bench minutes. Vegotsky made 2 of 3 shots from the field and all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.
Who's Got Next?
After the Richmond game the Bison student-athletes will be permitted to travel home to spend the holidays with their families before reporting back for practice on Dec. 26. Two days later the team is back on the road to face Marist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., at 4 p.m.
