Tuesday, November 13
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
73
vs
82
Canisius
Jimmy Sotos
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Bucknell Men's Basketball Falls to Canisius, 82-73
11/13/2018 9:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Jimmy Sotos scores a career-high 23 points in defeat
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Despite a career-high 23 points from sophomore Jimmy Sotos, the Bucknell men's basketball team lost its second straight home contest, falling to Canisius 82-73 on Tuesday night at Sojka Pavilion. Kimbal Mackenzie added 16 points, while Paul Newman contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
The Golden Griffins were picked second in the Metro Atlantic Athletc Conference preseason coaches' poll after going 15-3 in league play last season, and they came out strong in their season opener, led by 25 points from reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year Takal Molson. Canisius shot 53.3 percent in the first half (16-for-30) and made 8 of 13 3-pointers to take a 48-32 lead into halftime. The Bison made 10 threes on the night and shot 26-for-53 (.491) overall, but hit just 11 of 20 from the free throw line. Canisius shot 80 percent from the foul line (20-for-25).
Ben Robertson added 10 points and four assists off the bench, scoring on a variety of drives to the basket. Sotos made five 3-pointers in seven tries and Mackenzie added four of his own.
Bucknell (1-2) erased double-figure deficits in each of its first two games of the season, and the Bison tried hard to do it again in this one. They rallied from 13 points down to beat St. Bonaventure in the season opener, and then on Saturday Bucknell came from 15 points down to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, only to see Fairfield win it with 0:03 left. Against Canisius, the Bison found themselves down by 20 points at 59-39 not quite five minutes into the second half, but they stormed back within six with a rousing 18-4 run.
After Canisius shot lights out over the first 25 minutes of the game, Bucknell held the Golden Griffins to one field goal in a span of 8:18 to get back in the game. Robertson was a big catalyst in the surge. He he made four buckets and assisted on two others to help whittle the margin down to single digits. After Kejuan Johnson-Alls split a pair of free throws, Mackenzie drained a 3-pointer with 7:44 to go that made it a six-point game at 63-57.
Bucknell's momentum stalled after the under-8:00 media timeout, however. Johnson-Alls missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Molson put back the rebound. Molson then picked off a pass and was fouled on a breakaway, and his two free throws pushed the margin back to 10. Moments later Mackenzie hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, but it was waved off on a late whistle when Avi Toomer was called for a charging foul on his drive and kickout pass.
Mackenzie made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt, making it a 68-60 game with 5:00 to play, but Jonathan Sanks hit a dagger 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 spurt for Canisius that nudged its lead back up to 15 at 75-60 with 2:59 left.
Bucknell had one last run, with a 3-pointer by Mackenze, a transition layup from Sotos, and two free throws from Newman making it an eight-point game at 77-69. But Canisius went 5-for-6 at the foul line in the final minute to ice the game.
"Clearly we have to find a way to get ourselves playing better earlier in the game," said head coach Nathan Davis. "One of the things that stands out is the amount of minutes played that we've been behind in games so far. You put a lot of pressure on yourself when you are always playing from behind. The good thing was we showed what we are capable of in the last 15 or 16 minutes until the end of the game. When we are locked in and flying around at both ends and pushing the tempo and being unselfish, we can play with anybody."
Bucknell led once in the first half at 9-8 on a spin move and dunk from Newman five minutes in. But then Canisius really got it going from long range. Five consecutive field goals from beyond the arc over a span of 3:34 helped fuel a 22-10 run. Reese, a preseason All-MAAC selection, hit two of them, as did Jibreel Faulkner.
Sotos tried to keep Bucknell in it with 13 first-half points (5-6 FG, 3-3 3FG), but the Bison went just 3-for-8 from the foul line, including four straight misses in the final two minutes of the half, as Canisius built its lead up to 16 at the break.
Bucknell shot 49.1 percent for the game after a 56.0-percent showing in the second half. The Bison knocked down 10 3-pointers in 26 tries. After the red-hot shooting in the first half, Canisius shot 37.0 percent in the second half and finished at 45.6 percent overall. The Golden Griffins were 10-for-22 from the arc, but just 2-for-9 in the second half.
Bucknell now has 12 days off before traveling to America East power Vermont on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
PHOTO GALLERY
(11/13/2018) Men's Basketball vs. Canisius
The Golden Griffins were picked second in the Metro Atlantic Athletc Conference preseason coaches' poll after going 15-3 in league play last season, and they came out strong in their season opener, led by 25 points from reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year Takal Molson. Canisius shot 53.3 percent in the first half (16-for-30) and made 8 of 13 3-pointers to take a 48-32 lead into halftime. The Bison made 10 threes on the night and shot 26-for-53 (.491) overall, but hit just 11 of 20 from the free throw line. Canisius shot 80 percent from the foul line (20-for-25).
Ben Robertson added 10 points and four assists off the bench, scoring on a variety of drives to the basket. Sotos made five 3-pointers in seven tries and Mackenzie added four of his own.
Bucknell (1-2) erased double-figure deficits in each of its first two games of the season, and the Bison tried hard to do it again in this one. They rallied from 13 points down to beat St. Bonaventure in the season opener, and then on Saturday Bucknell came from 15 points down to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, only to see Fairfield win it with 0:03 left. Against Canisius, the Bison found themselves down by 20 points at 59-39 not quite five minutes into the second half, but they stormed back within six with a rousing 18-4 run.
After Canisius shot lights out over the first 25 minutes of the game, Bucknell held the Golden Griffins to one field goal in a span of 8:18 to get back in the game. Robertson was a big catalyst in the surge. He he made four buckets and assisted on two others to help whittle the margin down to single digits. After Kejuan Johnson-Alls split a pair of free throws, Mackenzie drained a 3-pointer with 7:44 to go that made it a six-point game at 63-57.
Bucknell's momentum stalled after the under-8:00 media timeout, however. Johnson-Alls missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but Molson put back the rebound. Molson then picked off a pass and was fouled on a breakaway, and his two free throws pushed the margin back to 10. Moments later Mackenzie hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, but it was waved off on a late whistle when Avi Toomer was called for a charging foul on his drive and kickout pass.
Mackenzie made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt, making it a 68-60 game with 5:00 to play, but Jonathan Sanks hit a dagger 3-pointer as part of a 7-0 spurt for Canisius that nudged its lead back up to 15 at 75-60 with 2:59 left.
Bucknell had one last run, with a 3-pointer by Mackenze, a transition layup from Sotos, and two free throws from Newman making it an eight-point game at 77-69. But Canisius went 5-for-6 at the foul line in the final minute to ice the game.
"Clearly we have to find a way to get ourselves playing better earlier in the game," said head coach Nathan Davis. "One of the things that stands out is the amount of minutes played that we've been behind in games so far. You put a lot of pressure on yourself when you are always playing from behind. The good thing was we showed what we are capable of in the last 15 or 16 minutes until the end of the game. When we are locked in and flying around at both ends and pushing the tempo and being unselfish, we can play with anybody."
Bucknell led once in the first half at 9-8 on a spin move and dunk from Newman five minutes in. But then Canisius really got it going from long range. Five consecutive field goals from beyond the arc over a span of 3:34 helped fuel a 22-10 run. Reese, a preseason All-MAAC selection, hit two of them, as did Jibreel Faulkner.
Sotos tried to keep Bucknell in it with 13 first-half points (5-6 FG, 3-3 3FG), but the Bison went just 3-for-8 from the foul line, including four straight misses in the final two minutes of the half, as Canisius built its lead up to 16 at the break.
Bucknell shot 49.1 percent for the game after a 56.0-percent showing in the second half. The Bison knocked down 10 3-pointers in 26 tries. After the red-hot shooting in the first half, Canisius shot 37.0 percent in the second half and finished at 45.6 percent overall. The Golden Griffins were 10-for-22 from the arc, but just 2-for-9 in the second half.
Bucknell now has 12 days off before traveling to America East power Vermont on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m.
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
PHOTO GALLERY
Players Mentioned
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