Bucknell University
6-6
Cornell
2-8
Bucknell Men Make it Four Straight, 75-64 at Cornell
12/20/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2010
ITHACA, N.Y. - Mike Muscala had 20 points and nine rebounds, Bryan Cohen finished with 17 points and eight rebounds and Joe Willman had 15 points - all in the second half - to go with nine rebounds to lift Bucknell to its fourth straight victory, 75-64 over Cornell at Newman Arena on Monday night. The Bison have climbed all the way back to level at 6-6 on the season with one game remaining before Christmas, at Boston College on Wednesday night.
Bucknell fought off a number of Cornell rallies in this one, but allowed only one field goal in the last four minutes to take control of a close game. The Bison led by nine points early in the game, but the lead was just one at the half. The second half featured a number of major momentum swings, with Cornell coming back to take slim leads on three occasions. Every time, though, Bucknell had an answer against a Big Red team looking to rebuild under former Bison star Bill Courtney after making a run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen a year ago.
Errick Peck, who led Cornell with 21 points and eight rebounds, was molten hot for the first 22 minutes. After scoring 15 points in the first half, Peck hit his first two shots of the second to make him 9-for-10 on the night and give the Big Red a 36-34 lead.
At that point Bison coach Dave Paulsen turned to fifth-year senior Stephen Tyree to try to slow Peck down, and the move provided a spark. Tyree, who is playing with a torn ACL suffered in preseason practice, checked in for the first time this season at the 18:24 mark and was immediately matched up on Peck. Even though Tyree only played one four-minute shift, he gave the team a major lift. While on the floor he made a defensive stop on Peck, dished to Bryson Johnson for a 3-pointer, then flew across the lane for a defensive rebound.
Bucknell scored 10 straight points after Tyree came on, with Muscala following Johnson's trey with a 3-point play and an inside move for a layup. Willman's put-back capped the run and gave the Bison a 44-36 lead.
Cornell kept coming, though, and answered the Bucknell 10-0 run with an 11-2 surge to regain the lead. Max Groebe hit his fifth 3-pointer of the night to pull the Big Red within 46-44, and then Drew Ferry drilled a transition 3-pointer at the 11:56 mark to make it 47-46 Cornell.
With the crowd back in it, Willman completely took over the game over the next four minutes, scoring 11 of Bucknell's 14 points over that span, including nine in a row. He gave the Bison the lead back for good with a short jumper off a Muscala feed with 10:51 to play. Cohen hit a transition three of his own, then WIllman had a layup and a 3-point play to make it 56-47.
Cornell scored five quick points on a Ferry layup and an Adam Wire trey from the top of the key, but then Willman canned a 10-footer and another jumper after popping out on an inbounds play.
Chris Wroblewski, Cornell's leading scorer and the lone returning starter from last year's 29-5 team, went without a field goal for more than 35 minutes before trying to shoot the Big Red back in the game. He made a 3-pointer, two free throws and a layup to bring Cornell back within four at 64-60 with 3:21 to play.
But the Bison were rock solid down the stretch. Muscala got to the free throw line and converted both, and after a defensive stop Muscala rebounded a Cohen miss and put it back for a 68-60 lead with 2:19 left. Bucknell handled Cornell's full-court pressure and did well enough at the free-throw line to advance the lead into double digits. Bucknell was red-hot early against Cornell's high-pressure defense. The Bison started 9-for-11 from the field, including three straight 3-pointers by Johnson, Cohen and then Johnson again, giving them an early 15-6 lead.
Cornell stayed in it thanks to the strong play of Peck and Groebe, who combined for 27 of their team's 31 first-half points. Groebe hit four 3-pointers, the last bringing the Big Red within 32-29, and then Peck's steal and breakaway jam with 19 seconds left made it 32-31 at the break.
Bucknell finished the half 2-for-14 after the 9-for-11 start, with numerous drives to the basket coming up empty.
For the game, the Bison shot an even 50 percent and went 6-for-9 from the 3-point arc against a team that was holding opponents to 29.7 percent 3-point shooting on the season. They also went 19-for-25 from the foul line and finished with a commanding 37-28 rebounding edge. Willman and Cohen both saved possessions with offensive rebound tip-outs in the late stages, and Willman, Cohen and Muscala had 26 rebounds between them.
Patriot League assists leader Darryl Shazier upped his average with seven helpers. Shazier came into the game ranked fifth in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, and he had just two turnovers in this one. He now has 67 assists and 16 turnovers on the season, and he passed Abe Badmus for fifth place on Bucknell's all-time assists list with 380.
As a team, Bucknell had 15 assists and 10 turnovers, with only three miscues in the second half.
Muscala, who went 7-for-12 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line, turned in his fifth 20-point game of the season and seventh of his career. He also had 20 points in an overtime loss to Cornell last season. Willman's 15 points equaled his career high, set last season at American.
Also for Bucknell, Johnson hit three treys for nine points and G.W. Boon added eight points off the bench. Now 4-0 in the month of December, the Bison have won two straight road games since an 0-4 road start.
In addition to Peck's 21 points, Groebe finished with 15 and Wroblewski 12. The rest of the squad combined for only 16 points. Cornell shot 41.5 percent for the game and went 9-for-21 from the arc and 11-for-18 from the foul line.
Courtney, the No. 8 scorer in Bucknell men's basketball history, was a 2007 inductee into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame. He is in his first season as a head coach, and his Cornell team was playing at home for the first time in more than a month. The Big Red have lost seven in a row and are now 2-8 on the season against a tough schedule.
Bucknell continues on the road Wednesday night against Boston College at 7 p.m.
