Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
4-3
Wagner
0-4
Bison Pull Away in Second Half to Defeat Wagner 85-61
11/28/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2009
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Freshman Bryson Johnson scored a career-high 19 points, Darryl Shazier registered 17 points and eight assists and Bryan Cohen scored 13 of his 16 in a huge second half to lead Bucknell to an 85-61 runaway over Wagner on Saturday night at Spiro Sports Center.
The Bison made 10 of 21 3-pointers in the game and improved to 4-3 on the season, while the Seahawks fell to 0-4.
Bucknell was clinging to a 42-40 lead in the early moments of the second half when it exploded for 20 points in a row to blow it open. The Bison scored in just about every imaginable way during the run: in the paint, from the 3-point arc, on the fastbreak and from the foul line.
After a quiet first half, Cohen was the catalyst. With the Bison up just two, he scored on a pullup in the lane, made a free throw, then drove and kicked out to Shazier for a 3-pointer that made it 48-40.
Mike Muscala's layup put Bucknell ahead 53-40, then Cohen sparked a big four-point possession when he got loose on a runout and was intentionally fouled. Cohen made both free throws, then Enoch Andoh banked in a short jumper on a pick-and-roll with Johnson to make it 57-40.
Moments later Bucknell faced full-court pressure, but Shazier drove from baseline to baseline, scored and was fouled. His free throw gave the Bison a 20-point lead, then Cohen capped the 20-0 run with a 16-foot jumper. That stretched Bucknell's lead to 62-40, and the rout was on.
G.W. Boon's put-back gave the Bison their largest lead of the season, 24 points at 70-46. After the Seahawks crawled within 18, it was Cohen with a free throw and a 3-pointer to restore a 22-point lead at 80-58 with 3:54 left.
Shazier picked T.J. Czeski's pocket and went coast-to-coast for a layup to make it 82-60 with 2:00 left, and the Bison called timeout to clear the bench.
Bucknell got off to a slow start in this one, as Doug Elwell hit a 3-pointer for Wagner right off the opening tap. The Seahawks led 13-8 early, but the Bison were rescued by some outstanding outside shooting.
Bucknell hit its first six 3-pointers of the night, including three in a row by Johnson. At the 10:05 mark Johnson was fouled shooting a three and made all three from the line, giving the Bison a 24-17 lead.
Six straight points, capped by a Zach Evans backdoor cut for a layup, made it 36-27, the Bison stretched their lead to 11 at 39-28 on a three-point play by Behan with 2:32 left in the half.
But just as the Bison started slowly, they also finished the half poorly. Bucknell missed its last five shots of the half, and the Seahawks finished on a 7-0 run to pull within 39-35 at the break.
Bucknell finished with a 41-36 rebounding edge, and defensively the Bison held Wagner to 3-for-26 3-point shooting. After Elwell hit two threes in the first 2:17 of the game, the Seahawks were just 1-for-24 after that.
The Bison, who had lost to Wagner in each of the last two seasons, had 18 assists and only 12 turnovers in the game, and they had another strong night at the foul line, making 21 of 24.
Michael Orock led Wagner with 17 points, while Elwell had 11. Wagner shot only 33.9 percent overall.
The Bison return home on Wednesday to face reigning Ivy League champion Cornell at 7 p.m.
