Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
4-9
Loyola (Md.)
7-5
Offensive Struggles Doom Bison in 55-49 Loss to Loyola
12/28/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 28, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell served up its best defensive effort and worst offensive performance of the season in the same night on Monday, but the offensive woes trumped the solid defense as the Bison fell 55-49 to Loyola (Md.) at Sojka Pavilion. Freshman Mike Muscala had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots, but Bucknell's losing skein reached six and the team fell to 4-9 on the season.
Loyola (7-5), which was coming off a landmark win over Indiana, received 17 points from Anthony Winbush and 10 off the bench from leading scorer Jamal Barney, who made three big field goals in the final five minutes to help thwart a Bucknell comeback attempt.
The Greyhounds, who had never beaten Bucknell in four previous attempts (all prior to the end of the 1992-93 season), took a 26-17 halftime lead as the Bison just could not get anything going offensively, despite some decent looks at the basket. Bucknell made only three of its first 19 field goal attempts and made things worse with a 1-for-8 start at the foul line. The Bison shot just 20 percent (5-25) from the field and 50 percent (6-12) from the line in the opening 20 minutes, but they were still in the game thanks to some strong defense of their own.
Trailing 31-20 early in the second half, Bucknell finally pieced together a run, scoring eight straight points keyed by 3-pointers from Bryan Cohen and Bryson Johnson. But just as they crawled within three, Loyola answered with five straight on two Winbush free throws and a three-point play by J'hared Hall.
At the 7:24 mark the Greyhounds went back up by 11 at 44-33 after a Barney layup, but Bucknell retaliated with a 10-4 run. Five straight points by G.W. Boon, three coming on an acrobatic layup on which he was fouled, and a coast-to-coast layup by Shazier keyed the run. Shazier's 19-footer with 2:51 left brought Bucknell within 48-43.
Down five, the Bison had a chance to draw even closer but turned the ball over on the perimeter, then Barney banked in a prayer as the shot clock expired to make it 50-43 with 1:22 left.
Perhaps the biggest sequence of the night came moments later, as Muscala splashed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to pull the Bison within four at 50-46 with 1:08 to play. After a timeout, Loyola dribbled down the shot clock, but Cohen was called for a hand-check foul on Barney with 39 seconds remaining. Barney missed the front end of the 1-and-1, but despite two Bucknell players getting their hands on the rebound, the Greyhounds came away with the loose ball in the lane. Brett Harvey then sank two free throws to push the Loyola lead back to six at 52-46.
At the other end Johnson had his 3-point try partially blocked, but Stephen Tyree made a great play leaping in the air to grab the rebound and in one motion fire the ball back outside to Shazier for a 3-pointer to make it 52-49.
Loyola then threw a long inbounds pass to Barney, who had his breakaway layup contested by Cohen. Barney grabbed his own rebound, however, and put it back in while being fouled with 21 seconds left, sealing the Greyhounds' third straight win.
Shazier had nine points and five assists, while Behan added nine points and 10 rebounds for the Bison. Tyree did not attempt a field goal in the game, but he contributed six rebounds and a career-high tying four steals.
Defensively, Bucknell held Loyola to 37 percent shooting, allowed only three 3-point baskets and forced 15 turnovers. But at the other end the Bison shot 33.3 percent overall, 31.3 percent (5-16) from the arc and 52.6 percent (10-19) from the foul line while committing 16 turnovers. Loyola finished with a 37-35 rebounding edge and outscored Bucknell 16-5 on second-chance points and 34-12 on points in the paint.
Bucknell continues its homestand on Wednesday night against Marist at 7 p.m.
