Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
2-5
Penn State
6-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 39 | 49 | 88 |
| Bucknell | 33 | 47 | 80 |
Late Run Lifts Penn State to 88-80 Win over Bucknell at Sold-Out Sojka Pavilion
11/28/2014 8:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
A standing-room-only total of 4,257 fans came out on a holiday weekend to watch Bucknell and Penn State play in Lewisburg for the first time since Jan. 14, 1976. The two teams commemorated their 102-game series that dates back to 1897 by wearing throwback uniforms. Bucknell wore 1970s-era jerseys, complete with “Bisons” across the chest, while Penn State wore their original black and pink color scheme.
Both teams seemed to like the new duds early, as the Bison and Nittany Lions both shot the ball well from the start. Ross Travis (14 points) had the hot hand early and Penn State made 6 of 7 from the arc while shooting 53.6 percent in the first half. The Nittany Lions finished at 55.6 percent overall and 8-for-15 from 3-point distance on the night. Meanwhile, Bucknell shot 49.1 percent and hit 10 of 16 (.625) from long range.
Azzinaro hit four of those treys en route to his career-best 18-point night. Freshman center Nana Foulland also turned in the best performance of his young career, scoring 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting, all in the second half. After being held scoreless in the first half, leading scorer Chris Hass also got going in the second, scoring 14 points. Freshman guard J.C. Show added 10 off the bench.
“We took a step in the right direction tonight,” said head coach Dave Paulsen, who wore an open-collared, jacket-and-plaid-pants combo to complement his team's 70s uniforms. “We made Penn State play great to beat us, and they did. From our perspective, our guys stayed the course and didn't panic when they got behind. We just could not get a stop or a key defensive rebound, but a lot of that is because Penn State has some terrific players who really performed well tonight.”
Newbill came into the game averaging 24 points per game, fourth-highest in Division I basketball. He made 9 of 17 from the floor and 9 of 12 from the free-throw line, including a number of big buckets down the stretch for Penn State. Travis added 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting, and Brandon Taylor and Geno Thorpe added 12 apiece.
The Nittany Lions (6-1) ran out to a quick 14-5 lead and later stretched the margin to 12 at 31-19 after a Taylor trey. But Azzinaro scored five points in a 9-0 Bucknell run, with Dom Hoffman's wing jumper bringing the Bison within 31-28 with 3:40 left in the half.
Show scored five straight points on a three and a running bank shot to keep the deficit at three, but Newbill closed the first-half scoring with a 3-point play to give Penn State a 39-33 lead at the break.
Foulland started the second half with a pretty baseline drive for a slam dunk, followed by a short lefty jumper to bring the Bison within two at 39-37. Penn State got the lead back up to 10 at 58-48 after Donovon Jack's put-back, but Hass got going midway through the half and shot the Bison back into the game.
His first bucket of the night came on a baseline drive for a layup at the 10:09 mark. Then he turned a steal into a transition 3-point play, followed by his first 3-pointer of the night, and Hass' own personal 8-1 run brought Bucknell within 62-60.
Hass hit another trey, and two possessions later Cory Starkey was fouled on a rebound. Starkey made both free throws to tie the game for the first time at 66-66 with 6:19 to play.
Penn State never relinquished the lead, however. Taylor answered the Starkey free throws with a short jumper in the lane, and then the Lions scored off two Bison turnovers to quickly go back up 72-66. After Hoffman hit 1 of 2 at the line, Newbill and John Johnson combined for four straight free throws, capping the 10-1 run.
Taylor's eight-footer made it 81-70 with 2:39 to play. The Bison got as close as five at 83-78 after a Hass 3-pointer with 1:06 left, but Penn State iced it at the foul line in the final minute.
Not only was the crowd of 4,257 the fifth-largest in the history of Sojka Pavilion, which opened in 2003, it was the largest ever during a student break period.
“This game is a credit to [Penn State coach] Pat [Chambers] and his willingness to continue this series,” said Paulsen. “We take it as a compliment that he wanted to challenge his team by bringing them into a tough environment and playing a good team on the road. There is some really good basketball in Central Pennsylvania, and this was a great showcase for that tonight.”
This was Bucknell's seventh game in 15 days to start the season, and the busy schedule continues on Monday night at Fairfield at 7 p.m.
