Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
4-6
Boston University
3-6
Bison Can't Overcome Slow Start, Fall 63-53 to Boston U
12/6/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2009
BOSTON, Mass. -- For the second straight game the Bucknell men's basketball team made a big second-half run but just could not get over the hump after a very slow start, and the Bison fell 63-53 at Boston University on Sunday afternoon. G.W. Boon hit five 3-pointers and scored a season-high 17 points, while Patrick Behan tallied 12 points and six rebounds for the Bison, who fell to 4-6 heading into a break for final exams.
Jake O'Brien led the Terriers (3-6) with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Corey Lowe and Carlos Strong had 11 apiece off the bench, with both hitting critical shots in the final minutes after the Bison had cut a 16-point deficit down to three. Leading scorer John Holland, who came in averaging better than 20 points per game, was held to 10.
Bucknell played well defensively and on the glass but could not overcome 10 turnovers and 5-for-26 shooting in the first half. The Bison shot 31.5 percent overall, and for the second straight game they were forced to launch over 30 3-point attempts, making 8 of 31.
Boston University, the preseason favorite in the America East conference, shot 40.4 percent and went 7-for-22 from the arc.
For the second straight game Bucknell really struggled offensively coming out of the gates. The Bison made only one of their first 12 and three of their first 20 shots and fell behind 32-16 at halftime. Boston University scored the game's first eight points and led 11-1 before Bucknell came up with its first field goal of the day, a Boon 3-pointer 5:41 in.
The Bison were never able to score back-to-back points in the half, but after being down by 15 they were able to trade some 3-pointers for 2-pointers and pulled within 11 on Bryan Cohen's trey with 2:46 left in the half. But O'Brien went to work for the Terriers, hitting two fadeaway jumpers from the right side followed by a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 30 seconds left, giving the hosts a game-high 16-point lead at the break.
Bucknell got right back in it, however, with a 13-2 run coming out of the locker room. Boon's back-to-back 3-pointers capped it, bringing the Bison back within five at 34-29. After making only five field goals in the first half, they made five in the first 3:09 of the second.
The Terriers stretched the lead back to 10 on back-to-back breakaway dunks by O'Brien, but the Bison got back within five on a Joe Willman layup and another Boon triple. Again Boston University went back up by 10 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Morris and two free throws by Lowe, again Bucknell four back. This time a 9-2 run, keyed by a Stephen Tyree 3-pointer from the top of the arc, made it a 48-45 game with 6:42 left in the contest.
Bucknell had two possessions down 53-50 inside three minutes to play but turned it over once and saw a Shazier 3-pointer rim out. Then with 2:03 left Strong swished a huge 3-pointer from the left corner. Behan hit both ends of a 1-and-1 with 1:46 left to make it 56-52. Strong missed a three, but Lowe put the rebound in to restore the Terriers' six-point lead with 1:23 left, and the Bison could not get another shot to drop.
Boston University made 5 of 7 from the line in the last minute to finish off the 10-point win.
Bucknell will now take a break for final exams before returning to the court on Dec. 19 at La Salle.
