Bucknell University
17-6, 7-0PL
Navy
3-18, 0-7PL
First-Place Bison Men Win Ninth Straight, 66-51 at Navy
1/28/2012 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2012
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Mike Muscala scored 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting to lead Bucknell to a 66-51 victory at Navy on Saturday night. The Bison extended their Patriot League winning streak to 17 games - the longest conference streak in the nation - and their overall run to nine in a row. At 17-6 overall and 7-0 in the Patriot League, Bucknell maintained a two-game lead atop the standings.
Muscala equaled his career high with 11 made field goals, scoring on an impressive array of outside shots and moves around the basket. He also went 4-for-4 from the foul line and grabbed eight rebounds while matching his season scoring high. He also had 27 in a win at Lafayette earlier in the month.
Bryan Cohen added 12 points, including a couple of big first-half treys to help Bucknell stretch out its lead. Joe Willman chipped in eight points and Bryson Johnson seven as the Bison won their sixth straight road game.
Worth Smith had 16 points and nine rebounds and Isaiah Roberts had 13 points for Navy, which dropped its 14th game in a row and fell to 3-18, 0-7. Bucknell did well to contain Navy's top two scorers, as J.J. Avila (16.3) and Jordan Sugars (11.5) were limited to eight apiece.
The Bison got out to a 1-for-6 start from the floor and trailed 6-2 early, but Cameron Ayers' floater off the glass ignited a 13-0 run, and Bucknell led for the final 34:18. Willman hit back-to-back jumpers to give the Bison their first lead, and then Bryson Johnson hit a 3-pointer and a deep two. Muscala's 18-footer capped the run and gave Bucknell a 13-6 lead.
Cohen hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Muscala scored nine points in the final 6:08 of the half to stretch Bucknell's advantage. The Bison led by as many as 18 in the first half after Cohen's jumper from the center of a zone defense made it 34-18. Muscala's lefty jump hook with 14 seconds left put Bucknell up 38-23 and gave him 15 points at the break.
The second half was fairly evenly played, although Navy was never able to get its deficit into single digits. The Bison lead was 14 inside four minutes to play when Muscala swished a 3-pointer from the right side with a hand in his face.
Bucknell shot 51.0 percent from the floor, eclipsing the 50-percent mark for the eighth time in the last 14 games. The Bison are now 10-0 on the season when shooting 50 percent. Bucknell also went 10-for-10 from the foul line, its third perfect performance of the year.
Defensively, the Bison held Navy to 36.4 percent shooting, with the Midshipmen going 3-for-19 from 3-point range.
Bucknell now has a week off before starting the second round of Patriot League play at home next Saturday against Army at 7 p.m.
