Wonderful Memories Relived During Men's Basketball Alumni Weekend

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The history-making 2004-05 team took center stage during a Men's Basketball Alumni Weekend that overflowed with memories and stories this past Friday and Saturday. Picture-perfect weather greeted the alumni who returned to campus, starting with the program's annual golf outing on Friday afternoon.

Rising senior Chris Hass and his father Cliff, and rising junior Ben Oberfeld and his father Mike teamed up to win the golf scramble with a score of 12-under-par 58 at the Bucknell Golf Club.

Behind 23 points, including five three-point baskets, from former Patriot League Player of the Year Cam Ayers '14, the Blue Team prevailed 90-73 in the 2015 Men's Basketball Alumni contest on Saturday morning.

With the Blue team clinging to a 17-16 lead early, Ayers and company went on a 13-2 run over the next few minutes and never looked back en route to the 17-point win. Abe Badmus '07, who was the point guard on the team that topped Kansas and had 11 assists without a turnover in that upset, tallied 13 points and handed out a game-high nine assists for the Blue squad. His teammate Donald Brown '07 added 19 points while Matt Fiery '10 was the other Blue team member in double figures with 14. Other members of the Blue team included Kevin Bettencourt '06 (8 pts, 2 assts), Jeremiah Bennett '04 (8 pts, 1 asst), Stephen Tyree '10 (6 pts, 2 assts), Andrew Morrison '08 (2 pts, 4 assts) and Ed Sigl '84.

Darryl Shazier '11 paced the White squad with a game-high 24 points and three assists. His final six makes in the contest all came from beyond the three-point arc. Holland Mack '06 and Darren Mastropaolo '08 both finished in double-figures, with 17 and 10 points respectively. Other members of the White team included current Bucknell assistant coach John Griffin '08 (9 pts, 1 asst), Boakai Lalugba '03 (6 pts), Bryan Bailey '02 (4 pts, 2 assts), Rob Thomas '08 (2 pts, 2 assts), Chris Niesz '05 (1 asst) and Jason Vegotsky '09 (1 asst).

Other alumni in attendance but not playing in the contest included Chuck Carroll '68, Kim Onsdorff '69, Pat Flannery '80, Steve O'Brien '80, Doug Allen '88, Grant Tormey '89, Mike Joseph '90, Tarik Viaer-McClymont '06 and John Clark '07.

Following the game the alums and their guests joined the current team for lunch in the McGee Room, and then headed downtown for a special event at the Campus Theatre. Eleven of the 13 players as well as three coaches from the 2004-05 team that captured the Patriot League title and defeated Kansas in the NCAA Tournament were in attendance at the 10-year anniversary celebration.

The members of the squad signed autographs, shook hands and posed for pictures with members of the Lewisburg community. After director of athletics and recreation John Hardt presided over a brief recognition ceremony honoring each member of the squad, the entire Bucknell-Kansas game was replayed on the big screen. The video was paused periodically so that members of the team could recount their thoughts about the brewing upset at that point in the contest.

Cheers echoed through the Campus Theatre throughout the game, with the loudest roar coming on Chris McNaughton's game-winning shot with 10.5 seconds remaining.

McNaughton, who is still competing in the playoffs for his German pro team, and Charles Lee, who is an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, were the only two players from the 2005 squad unable to return for the weekend.

In all it was a wonderful weekend for fans and alumni, who had a chance to relive a magical moment in Bison sports history.