Wednesday, January 23
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
71
vs
68
Loyola
1
2
F
Loyola Maryland
25
43
68
Bucknell
37
34
71
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Late Free Throws by Sotos Help Men's Basketball Hold Off Loyola, 71-68
1/23/2019 9:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
First-place Bison have won five straight
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Jimmy Sotos sank three free throws with 5.8 seconds remaining in the game to give Bucknell a 71-68 victory over Loyola Maryland on Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison were able to hold off the Greyhounds, who went on a 10-0 run over two minutes to tie the score at 68 with 35.3 seconds left in regulation. First-place Bucknell has won five straight contests and improved to 12-7 on the season and 6-1 against Patriot League opponents. Loyola, which had won three straight coming in, is now 7-13 overall and 3-4 in conference play.
Bucknell took a 37-25 lead into halftime thanks to some spirited bench play. Nate Jones made three 3-pointers and freshman Kahliel Spear hit a pair of threes and blocked two shots in three minutes of action. Spear, playing for the first time in a league game, came on after both Nate Sestina and Paul Newman experienced early foul difficulty. He made his first career threes on back-to-back possessions, leading to a Loyola timeout and extending the Bison lead up to 28-15.
Kimbal Mackenzie scored a team-high 16 points for the Bison to go along with five assists and three steals. Avi Toomer had a strong all-around game, scoring 14 points, corralling seven rebounds and notching two steals in just under 21 minutes of action. Bruce Moore was the third Bison player in double figures, scoring 11 points.
The Greyhounds were led by a game-high 26 points from junior Andrew Kostecka. Kostecka, the Patriot League scoring leader at better than 20 per game, also had seven assists and five rebounds. Isaiah Hart scored 15 points before fouling out of the game when he ran into Sotos outside the arc on Bucknell's final possession.
The Bison led by as many as 15 points in the first half, and it was still a seemingly comfortable nine-point margin after Mackenzie made two free throws with 9:20 to play. But after starting the game 1-for-12 and shooting just 34.5 percent in the first half, Loyola really got going offensively in the second stanza.
The Greyhounds scored on four straight possessions after the Mackenzie free throws to cut the margin to one at 59-58. Loyola was shooting 71 percent in the second half at that point, but a key moment came at the 7:08 mark, when Kostecka was called for his fourth foul on offensive ward-off on Jones.
Loyola went silent with Kostecka on the bench, and the Bison rattled off nine straight points to go up 68-58 with 2:58 to play. Toomer fueled the run with a 3-pointer, followed by two free throws. Ben Robertson and Mackenzie added driving layups to make it a 10-point game.
But the Greyhounds fought back. After going scoreless for 5:17, suddenly they scored 10 points in two minutes to tie the game at 68. Jaylin Andrews and Hart sandwiched 3-pointers around a Kostecka 3-point play to pull Loyola within one. Mackenzie was called for an offensive foul on a drive and dish, and then Kavaughn Scott split a pair of free throws to knot the game with 35 seconds left.
After a timeout, Bucknell ran down the shot clock, and Sotos was fouled on a 3-point attempt. His first free throw hit the front of the rim and dropped in, and the next two were right on the money to give the Bison the 3-point lead.
Chuck Champion's off-balance 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, and the Bison had their season-best fifth straight win. Four of those five have been decided by three points or fewer.
Sotos also contributed the winning points in Bucknell's 85-83 victory at Lehigh on Saturday. After Lehigh came up with a steal and the tying layup with 6.7 seconds left, Sotos went coast-to-coast for the winning shot with 1.2 to go.
Bucknell went 7-for-11 from the 3-point arc in the first half, including a combined 5-for-6 from Jones and Spear off the bench. The Bison finished 10-for-23 from long distance and shot 45.5 percent from the field overall. They were also a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. It was Bucknell's first perfect free-throw performance with at least 10 attempts since going 19-for-19 against Lafayette in the 2012 Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Loyola shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 60.0 percent in the second half. The Greyhounds were 5-for-18 from the 3-point arc and 13-for-19 from the foul line.
With the win, the Bison moved 100 games over .500 (126-26) against Patriot League foes at Sojka Pavilion.
Bucknell is back in action on Saturday at American at 4 p.m. The Bison defeated the Eagles 55-54 at Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 12.
Bucknell took a 37-25 lead into halftime thanks to some spirited bench play. Nate Jones made three 3-pointers and freshman Kahliel Spear hit a pair of threes and blocked two shots in three minutes of action. Spear, playing for the first time in a league game, came on after both Nate Sestina and Paul Newman experienced early foul difficulty. He made his first career threes on back-to-back possessions, leading to a Loyola timeout and extending the Bison lead up to 28-15.
Kimbal Mackenzie scored a team-high 16 points for the Bison to go along with five assists and three steals. Avi Toomer had a strong all-around game, scoring 14 points, corralling seven rebounds and notching two steals in just under 21 minutes of action. Bruce Moore was the third Bison player in double figures, scoring 11 points.
The Greyhounds were led by a game-high 26 points from junior Andrew Kostecka. Kostecka, the Patriot League scoring leader at better than 20 per game, also had seven assists and five rebounds. Isaiah Hart scored 15 points before fouling out of the game when he ran into Sotos outside the arc on Bucknell's final possession.
The Bison led by as many as 15 points in the first half, and it was still a seemingly comfortable nine-point margin after Mackenzie made two free throws with 9:20 to play. But after starting the game 1-for-12 and shooting just 34.5 percent in the first half, Loyola really got going offensively in the second stanza.
The Greyhounds scored on four straight possessions after the Mackenzie free throws to cut the margin to one at 59-58. Loyola was shooting 71 percent in the second half at that point, but a key moment came at the 7:08 mark, when Kostecka was called for his fourth foul on offensive ward-off on Jones.
Loyola went silent with Kostecka on the bench, and the Bison rattled off nine straight points to go up 68-58 with 2:58 to play. Toomer fueled the run with a 3-pointer, followed by two free throws. Ben Robertson and Mackenzie added driving layups to make it a 10-point game.
But the Greyhounds fought back. After going scoreless for 5:17, suddenly they scored 10 points in two minutes to tie the game at 68. Jaylin Andrews and Hart sandwiched 3-pointers around a Kostecka 3-point play to pull Loyola within one. Mackenzie was called for an offensive foul on a drive and dish, and then Kavaughn Scott split a pair of free throws to knot the game with 35 seconds left.
After a timeout, Bucknell ran down the shot clock, and Sotos was fouled on a 3-point attempt. His first free throw hit the front of the rim and dropped in, and the next two were right on the money to give the Bison the 3-point lead.
Chuck Champion's off-balance 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark, and the Bison had their season-best fifth straight win. Four of those five have been decided by three points or fewer.
Sotos also contributed the winning points in Bucknell's 85-83 victory at Lehigh on Saturday. After Lehigh came up with a steal and the tying layup with 6.7 seconds left, Sotos went coast-to-coast for the winning shot with 1.2 to go.
Bucknell went 7-for-11 from the 3-point arc in the first half, including a combined 5-for-6 from Jones and Spear off the bench. The Bison finished 10-for-23 from long distance and shot 45.5 percent from the field overall. They were also a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. It was Bucknell's first perfect free-throw performance with at least 10 attempts since going 19-for-19 against Lafayette in the 2012 Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Loyola shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 60.0 percent in the second half. The Greyhounds were 5-for-18 from the 3-point arc and 13-for-19 from the foul line.
With the win, the Bison moved 100 games over .500 (126-26) against Patriot League foes at Sojka Pavilion.
Bucknell is back in action on Saturday at American at 4 p.m. The Bison defeated the Eagles 55-54 at Sojka Pavilion on Jan. 12.
Not quite the style points from Saturday's game-winner, but Jimmy Sotos was clutch again tonight! These three FTs were the winning points in a 71-68 win over Loyola. Bison are now 6-1 in the Patriot League! #rayBucknell #TheBisonWay pic.twitter.com/QeILZrHQNB
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) January 24, 2019
Ladies and gentlemen, Kahliel Spear! He hits his first career 3-pointer, blocks his second shot of the day, and then bangs another trey to give us a 28-15 lead! pic.twitter.com/urM8RbnBck
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) January 24, 2019
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE:
Team Stats
M-369
M-83
FG%
.463
.455
3FG%
.278
.435
FT%
.684
1.000
RB
29
28
TO
13
14
STL
8
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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