Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
(4-8)
Notre Dame
(11-2)
Hot-Shooting Notre Dame Runs Past Bison, 101-69
12/22/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2009
NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- All-American Luke Harangody produced 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, and Notre Dame rode a red-hot shooting start to a 101-69 victory over Bucknell Tuesday night at Purcell Pavilion. Bryson Johnson scored 17 points and Stephen Tyree added a season-high 15 for the Bison, who dropped their fifth straight but will now get four of their next five at home.
Darryl Shazier had eight points and Bryan Cohen seven for Bucknell, now 4-8 on the season. Notre Dame, now 11-2, also received 16 points from Ben Hansbrough and 15 from Tim Abromaitis.
It was a rough opening 20 minutes for the Bison, who just could not keep up with Notre Dame's shooting barrage. The Irish made nine 3-pointers in 15 attempts and shot 63 percent overall in the first half. Abromaitis hit three of those treys, while Jackson and Hansbrough both went 2-for-2. Hansbrough was also fouled shooting a three and made all three from the line, giving him 14 first-half points.
It was a 5-4 game when the Fighting Irish scored 12 straight points. Back-to-back treys from Jackson and Abromaitis made Notre Dame 5-for-5 from the field, and later Harangody hit a short jumper to make it 17-4.
Johnson scored eight straight points, six coming from behind the arc, to keep Bucknell in it, but the Irish kept scoring points three at a time. An old-fashioned 3-point play and the three free throws by Hansbrough put Notre Dame up 29-12, and the Irish stretched the lead to 20 for the first time at 36-16 on Abromaitis' runner in the lane with eight minutes left in the half.
Notre Dame scored the last eight of the half, including two more 3-pointers from Abromaitis and Carleton Scott, to take a 49-22 lead into the locker room.
The two teams alternated points for the fist four minutes of the second half, but an 8-0 run stretched Notre Dame's lead to 67-33 after a step-back 19-footer by Harangody.
Bucknell had a 9-2 run inside the 10-minute mark, keyed by a 3-pointer by Bryan Cohen and a 3-point play by Tyree, to get within 78-51. Both teams used plenty of reserves down the stretch, and Notre Dame stretched the lead back over 30 in the late stages.
The Fighting Irish shot 60.7 percent from the field, made 11 of 21 threes and went 16-for-18 from the foul line after a 15-for-15 start. Bucknell shot 34.2 percent overall (9-26 from 3-point range) and went 10-for-16 from the foul line. The Bison committed only nine turnovers compared to 17 for Notre Dame.
After taking a short holiday break, the Bison begin a stretch of four out five games at home on Dec. 28 against Loyola (Md.). Game time is 7 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion.
