Bucknell University
14-7, 5-0PL
Colgate
3-16, 1-4PL
Bucknell Men Cruise to Eighth Straight Win, 76-49 over Colgate
1/22/2011 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2011
| Video Highlights
| Coach Dave Paulsen Postgame InterviewLEWISBURG, Pa. - Mike Muscala tallied 17 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two assists in only 21 minutes to lead Bucknell to its eighth straight win, 76-49 over Colgate before a season-high 3,827 fans at Sojka Pavilion on Saturday night. Now 5-0 in the Patriot League and 12-1 since Dec. 1, the Bison led by double figures for the last three-quarters of the game and by as many as 33 in the second half.
Bryson Johnson, the Patriot League leader in 3-point percentage, went 4-for-6 from the arc and finished with 12 points, while Joe Willman added 10 points and five rebounds for the Bison (14-7, 5-0). Darryl Shazier, the national leader in assist-to-turnover ratio, had seven points and five assists with only one turnover. Defensive stopper Bryan Cohen equaled his career-high with six assists, all in the first half, and helped hold Colgate scoring leader Yaw Gyawu to two field goals.
Gyawu did go 8-for-8 from the foul line to lead Colgate (3-16, 1-4) with 12 points. Brandon James had 11 points off the bench, but the Raiders shot only 19.2 percent from the field in the second half and 25.0 percent for the game.
The Bison defense forced a season-high 18 turnovers while holding Colgate to 3-for-16 shooting from outside the 3-point arc. The Raiders were just 12-for-48 from the field in the game.
Bucknell took the game over about two minutes in. After falling behind 4-2, Muscala hit a jumper just inside the arc to trigger a 14-0 run. By the time Johnson hit his second 3-pointer in a three-possession span, the Bison were 7-for-8 from the floor and had a 16-4 lead.
James scored four quick points to cut it to eight, but in the next two minutes Cameron Ayers hit a 17-footer and Willman had one of his patented baseline jumpers to make it 21-8 and the rout was on.
G.W. Boon (nine points) hit a pair of 3-pointers and Shazier hit one from the top of the key on a Muscala kick-out pass. Muscala emphatically capped off a 47-point first half when he took a pretty bounce pass from Shazier in the lane and threw down a dunk while absorbing a hard foul. Muscala, who was 7-for-7 from the line for the second straight game, completed the 3-point play with 3.8 seconds left to give Bucknell a 47-26 halftime lead.
A 7-0 run, highlighted by a Willman 3-point play, gave Bucknell its first 30-point lead of the season at 63-32. That lead grew to as many as 33 (76-43) on two Colin Klebon free throws with 3:26 left, then Colgate finished with the final six points of the night.
Bucknell shot 46.2 percent from the floor, with the starters going 17-for-29 (.586) and the reserves 7-for-23 (.304). The Bison were 6-for-12 from 3-point range in the first half, then cooled off to 2-for-9 in the second. They had another strong free-throw shooting night, making 80.0 percent (20-25).
The Bison had only one first-half turnover, that coming on the second possession of the game, and finished the night with 17 assists and just seven turnovers. It was the 17th time in 21 games this season Bucknell had at least as many assists as turnovers. Shazier now has 116 assists and 29 miscues on the season.
No Bucknell player saw more than 26 minutes of action, and five reserves played as many as 13 minutes.
The Bison are now 7-1 at home this season and 54-12 all-time against Patriot League foes at Sojka Pavilion. They have now beaten Colgate at home eight straight times and have a 55-40 lead in a series that dates back to 1920.
Bucknell now hits the road for two straight games, starting Wednesday night against defending Patriot League champion Lehigh. Game time is 7 p.m. at Stabler Arena.
