Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
11-17, 6-7PL
Lehigh
13-14, 6-7PL
Bucknell Men Fall at Lehigh, 50-39
2/27/2008 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2008
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Rob Keefer scored a career-high 17 points and Lehigh's defense held Bucknell to its lowest point total in more than nine years in a 50-39 victory on Wednesday night at Stabler Arena. Darren Mastropaolo scored eight points for the Bison, who fell to 11-17 overall, 6-7 in the Patriot League.
Bucknell could have locked up a top-four seed and first-round home game in the Patriot League Tournament, instead the Bison will have to win at Army in the regular-season finale on Saturday and get help to finish in the top half of the conference. Bucknell is now in a four-way tie for third place in the Patriot League standings along with Lehigh, Lafayette and Colgate.
Marquis Hall added 12 points for the Mountain Hawks, who held Bucknell to its smallest final total since a 68-27 loss to Princeton on Dec. 9, 1998. Lehigh (13-14, 6-7) swept the season series from Bucknell for the first time since 2003.
John Griffin added seven points and Todd O'Brien had six points and a game-high nine rebounds, but the Bison shot only 33.3 percent from the field and went 3-for-16 from the 3-point line. They also missed their first seven free throws and finished 6-for-13 from the line.
Lehigh only shot 32.6 percent but made 17 of 24 from the line and had only 11 turnovers compared to Bucknell's 17.
Bucknell had a miserable first half offensively, when they shot just 33.3 percent from the field (1-for-9 from 3-point distance), committed eight turnovers and went 0-for-5 from the free-throw line, including three missed front ends of 1-and-1s.
Mastropaolo's layup put the Bison on the board first, but it would be almost seven minutes before they scored again.
Keefer's 3-pointer at the 13:42 mark gave Lehigh an 8-2 lead before Stephen Tyree ended Bucknell's drought with a drive to the basket. The Bison closed within 14-12 on a baseline jumper by O'Brien, and it was still a two-point game at 19-17 after Griffin's 3-pointer with 3:23 left.
Griffin's 3-pointer would be Bucknell's final points of the half, as Marquis Hall's 3-pointer keyed a 7-0 run to end the period, giving Lehigh a 26-17 lead.
Bucknell's struggles continued in the second half. Keefer's short bank shot to start the second half made it nine straight points and put Lehigh up double figures for the first time. Keefer still had the hot hand at the 16-minute mark when he hit a 17-footer to give Lehigh a 34-21 advantage, forcing a Bison timeout.
G.W. Boon's 3-pointer at the 13:28 mark gave Bucknell its only points in a 10:25 span. Prentice Small's free throw gave Lehigh a 20-point lead at 44-24. Josh Linthicum's dunk with 6:04 left ended an 11:05 field goal drought for the Bison.
Patrick Behan, who made his first start since Dec. 28, pulled Bucknell within 14 at 44-30 with 6:04 to play, but Lehigh tallied the next four and the Bison never got closer until Matt Fiery scored his first collegiate points on a 3-pointer just before the final buzzer.
The Bison conclude the regular season on Saturday at Army at 2:30 p.m.
