Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
10-10, 5-2PL
Loyola (Md.)
7-11, 3-4PL
Bison Tied for First in Patriot League After 75-61 Win at Loyola
1/21/2015 11:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BALTIMORE, Md. – Junior Chris Hass scored 26 points, including 17 in the second half as Bucknell held off Loyola (Md.) 75-61 on Wednesday at Reitz Arena. The Bison never trailed in the game on their way to their third win by double-digits during the Patriot League season.
Senior Steven Kaspar poured in a season-high 14 points and freshman Nana Foulland added 10 for the Bison, who have battled their way back to .500 at 10-10 overall after a challenging non-conference schedule had them at 5-8 before the start of Patriot League play. More importantly, they moved into a tie with Colgate for first place in the conference at 5-2.
“This league has always been this way but not like it is this season. This is the most balanced this league has ever been,” said seventh-year Bucknell head coach Dave Paulsen. “Every game is a grinder. To win any game on the road is huge.”
Hass was terrific for the second straight game, shooting 10-of-15 from the floor and 4-of-7 from long range. Over the past two games he has combined for 49 points on 59 percent shooting (19-32). He has made eight of his last 15 3-point attempts and leads the team in scoring at 16.3 ppg.
Bucknell led 36-30 in the opening minute of the second half when a shot clock malfunction caused a 15-minute delay in the game. The remainder of the contest was played without a visible shot clock on the floor, but that did nothing to slow down the Bison offense. Following a layup by Loyola's Cam Gregory, the Bison went on a 16-6 run to give them their largest lead of the game, 52-38.
It was during that stretch that Hass really took over. He scored nine straight points for the Bison at one point, connecting on three consecutive 3-point attempts.
The Greyhounds clawed their way back to a single-digit deficit, getting as close as seven (63-56) after a layup by Andre Walker with 5:15 to play. But the Bison responded with six of the next seven points, including two field goals by Hass and free throws by Foulland and Cory Starkey.
Walker was Loyola's top scorer, matching his career-high of 17 points for the second straight game. He was the Greyhounds' lone player to reach double-figures as Bucknell held its opponent to 35 percent shooting for the game.
“At times the game got a little ugly, but I thought we defended well and we hit timely baskets,” Paulsen said. “We didn't turn the ball over and that was key. We only had eight turnovers and we assisted on 15 of our 27 hoops. We found the hot hand and we had just enough stops to get the win.”
Thirteen players saw the floor for Bucknell and eight players scored. Still fresh off an outstanding late-game showing in a win over Navy two games ago, John Azzinaro scored nine points on three treys. Starkey had a solid all-around game with seven points, a team-high nine rebounds, and three assists. Kaspar led the Bison in assists with four, while Foulland contributed on the boards with seven.
Fueled by a 5-for-10 mark from beyond the arc, Bucknell took a 36-28 lead into the half. Eleven players got in the game and seven scored for the Bison in the opening 20 minutes, led by nine points from Hass and eight from Kaspar. The Greyhounds countered with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting by Walker.
The Bison opened the game with a 7-0 run, capped by a wide-open 3-pointer by Hass. A pair of freshmen, Foulland and Stephen Brown had the Bison off to a solid start, scoring in the paint on back-to-back possessions.
Leading 11-10 midway through the first half, the Bison scored on four straight possessions in a span of 2:12 to up their lead to 21-13. Kaspar, who entered the game with a career-high of two 3-pointers, hit from long range on two straight possessions. Foulland and Starkey followed with layups the next two times down the floor.
Bucknell, which notched its second road win of the season with the victory over Loyola, is back on the road when it travels to take on Boston University on Saturday. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tip.
