Bison Visit Boston University for PL Tournament Semifinal Clash Sunday on CBS Sports Network

After prevailing in a thriller at American on Thursday night, the Bucknell men's basketball team is back in the Patriot League Tournament semifinal round for the 23rd time in the 30-year history of the Patriot League. This time they have done it as a No. 7 seed, thanks to two straight victories over Holy Cross and American in postseason play. The Bison return to Boston for the second time in eight days, as they ended the regular-season there on Feb. 29. The Terriers swept the season series, 77-57 in Lewisburg on Feb. 1 and 74-71 at Case Gym last weekend. Boston University rallied from a 16-point deficit to win the latter contest.

This is only the second time these two teams have met in postseason play. Bucknell won 90-59 in the 2018 semifinals at Sojka Pavilion, and then went on to defeat Colgate for the championship a few days later.

Both teams are coming off hard-fought quarterfinal victories. In D.C., neither team led by more than six points, and the game was played within one possession either way for 31:35 of the 40 minutes in Bucknell's 64-59 quarterfinal win at American on Thursday. Meanwhile in Boston, sixth-seeded Navy jumped out to a 22-10 advantage and still led 46-39 with 12 minutes remaining before the Terriers took it over with a 16-4 run on the way to a 69-63 win.

Senior Avi Toomer, juniors John Meeks and Jimmy Sotos, and sophomore Walter Ellis all made critical plays in the final minutes as Bucknell and American traded blows in Thursday's thriller in D.C. After a quick 7-0 run gave the Eagles a 53-52 lead, Toomer struck back with a drive to the basket for a 3-point play. Jamir Harris answered with his second straight deep 3-pointer to tie the game at 58-all with 1:28 left. Meeks then powered through a bigger player in the low post for the go-ahead layup with 1:03 left. Sotos took a painful charge on PL Player of the Year Sa'eed Nelson, and then at the other end changed pace with a behind-the-back dribble that dropped Nelson to the floor, and Sotos finished the open layup for a 62-58 lead with 0:18 left. Nelson split a pair of free throws, and then Toomer stepped up and made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 9.9 to go to ice the game.

Playing Patriot League Tournament games on the road has been a rarity for Bucknell. Prior to last season's championship game at Colgate, the Bison had played 22 straight PLT games at home dating all the way back to 2009. That 2009 game was also the last time Bucknell played a road quarterfinal game, when it was the No. 7 seed and lost at Holy Cross. Bucknell's last road PL Tournament victory before Thursday night was a year earlier in the 2008 quarterfinals, when the seventh-seeded Bison stunned Navy in triple overtime on John Griffin's half-court bank shot at the final buzzer.

#TBT to the last time Bucknell won a road game in the @PatriotLeague Tournament. It was this memorable @JohnGriffinIII halfcourt buzzer-beater in triple-OT against Navy in 2008. The Bison have only had to play 4 PLT road games since then. #rayBucknell https://t.co/YTxTDbVG2E
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) March 6, 2020

Bucknell is 5-2 in its last seven games — its best stretch of the season — including wins over the top two tournament seeds in Colgate and American. The Bison nearly added third-seeded Boston University to the list last Saturday in the regular-season finale, but the Terriers overcame a 16-point deficit to win 74-71 at Case Gym.

Meeks earned Third Team All-Patriot League honors on Monday. Meeks is one of four Bison scoring in double figures. Sotos recently regained the team scoring lead at 11.5 ppg, followed by Meeks (11.4), Andrew Funk (11.0) and Toomer (10.9). If Bucknell can finish with four players averaging 11+ points per game, it would be only the second time in the last 25 years that has happened (2016-17). Also honored this week was Funk, who was named to the five-man Academic All-Patriot League Team.

Boston University is led by its three All-Patriot League selections: First Team forward Max Mahoney (15.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Second Team guard Walter Whyte (12.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Third Team guard Javante McCoy (12.2 ppg, 3.2 apg). Mahoney has been a thorn in Bucknell's side over the last two seasons, when he has averaged 20.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in four games.

Here's more info on Sunday's game at Boston University:

What: #7 Bucknell (14-19, 8-10 PL) at #3 Boston University (19-13, 12-6 PL)
Where: Case Gym, Boston, Mass. | TICKETS
When: Sunday, March 8, 12 p.m.
TV: CBS Sports Network
Local Radio: Eagle 107 (107.3 FM WEGH)
Listen Live: BucknellBison.com and Eagle107.com
Live Stats: GoTerriers.com

COMPLETE GAME NOTES

Bucknell Probable Starters
G: Jimmy Sotos (11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.9 apg)
G: Andrew Funk (11.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.7 apg)
G: Avi Toomer (10.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 apg)
F: John Meeks (11.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)
C: Paul Newman (5.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.6 bpg)

With a Win over Boston University, Bucknell Would ...

... advance to the Patriot League Tournament championship game for the 14th time, extending its league record. The Bison would play on the road against the winner of the Lafayette at Colgate semifinal game.
... improve to 44-23 in Patriot League Tournament games.
... improve to 14-9 in PL Tournament semifinal games.
... improve to 4-2 in PL Tournament games when playing as the No. 7 seed.
... improve to 2-0 against the Terriers in postseason play.
... improve to 14-7 all-time against the Terriers and 5-2 in Case Gym.
... win a third straight game for the first time this season and improve to 6-2 in its last eight games.

Bucknell Patriot League Tournament History

Bucknell has an all-time record of 43-23 (.652) in 30 Patriot League Tournaments. The Bison have reached the championship game a league-record 13 times, including wins in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2018, and reached at least the semifinals in 23 of the first 30 years.
This is Bucknell's third appearance as the No. 7 seed and its first time having to play in a first-round game as part of a 10-team field. The Bison are now 3-2 in games played as a No. 7 seed.
This is the seventh time a No. 7 seed as advanced to the semifinals, but no No. 7 seed has ever reached the championship game.

Bison PL Tourney Log
Year   Seed   Results
1991   4   def. Army 67-49; lost Fordham 82-76
1992   2   def. Army 74-55; def. Holy Cross 86-77; lost Fordham 70-65
1993   1   def. Lehigh 69-65; def. Colgate 75-73; lost Holy Cross 98-73
1994   5   lost Holy Cross 96-91
1995   2   lost Army 94-78
1996   4   def. Lafayette 56-55; lost Colgate 67-61
1997   2   def. Lehigh 84-54; def. Colgate 71-58; lost Navy 76-75
1998   3   def. Holy Cross 60-56; lost Navy 80-61
1999   3   def. Holy Cross 76-52; def. Lehigh 58-50; lost Lafayette 67-63
2000   3   lost Lehigh 73-62
2001   6   def. Colgate 75-68; lost Navy 88-64
2002   3   def. Army 70-59; lost Holy Cross 64-57
2003   5   def. Lehigh 52-47; lost Holy Cross 75-50
2004   4   def. Holy Cross 66-60; lost Lehigh 60-45
2005   2   def. Lafayette 70-34; def. American 53-35; def. Holy Cross 61-57
2006   1   def. Army 59-47; def. American 64-50; def. Holy Cross 74-59
2007   2   def. Navy 62-43; def. Army 68-47; lost Holy Cross 74-66
2008   7   def. Navy 87-86 (3OT); lost Colgate 54-40
2009   7   lost Holy Cross 75-56
2010   2   lost Holy Cross 67-64
2011   1   def. Army 78-51; def. Lehigh 66-64; def. Lafayette 72-57
2012   1   def. Navy 87-63; def. Lafayette 79-52; lost Lehigh 82-77
2013   1   def. Navy 58-42; def. Army 78-70; def. Lafayette 64-56
2014   4   lost 72-71 Army
2015   1   def. Holy Cross 90-83 (OT); lost Lafayette 80-74
2016   1   lost Holy Cross 77-72 (2OT)
2017   1   def. Army 78-62; def. Navy 70-65; def. Lehigh 81-65
2018   1   def. Loyola 83-78; def. Boston U. 90-59; def. Colgate 83-54
2019   2   def. Holy Cross 77-65; def. Lehigh 97-75; lost Colgate 94-80
2020   7   def. Holy Cross 65-62; def. American 64-59; vs. Boston U.

Bucknell vs. Boston University

Bucknell and Boston University have met 20 times previously in men's basketball, and the Bison have a 13-7 lead in the series.
Bucknell is 6-4 at home in the series, 6-3 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites. In games played in Boston, Bucknell is 2-1 at Agganis Arena and 4-2 at Case Gym.
The two teams met for the first time at the 2005 Cable Car Classic at Santa Clara. The Bison won that one 63-57.
This is just the second postseason meeting between the Bison and Terriers. The other was also a Patriot League Tournament semifinal game in 2018, won by Bucknell 90-59. Stephen Brown scored 19 of his 26 points in the first half, and a few days later he would be crowned Patriot League Tournament MVP after the Bison beat Colgate for the title. The Bison dominated the Terriers right from the opening tap, leading 15-2 after seven minutes, 46-23 at the half, and by as many as 35 in the second half.
In the first meeting of this season, the Terriers handed Bucknell its first-ever 20-point loss in Sojka Pavilion, 77-57. It was just a six-point game at the half, but Boston University opened the second half with a 24-5 run to blow it open. Max Mahoney had 18 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Terriers, while Avi Toomer led Bucknell with 16 points.
In the rematch at Case Gym on Leap Day, Javante McCoy hit the tying and go-ahead jumpers in the final two minutes to lift Boston University to a 74-71 victory. The Bison led by as many as 16 points in the second half, and the margin was still 15 after a John Meeks 3-pointer made it 66-51 with 7:54 to play. But that would be Bucknell's last field goal of the day, as Boston University finished the game on a 23-5 run. Jimmy Sotos scored 19 points to lead the Bison, while Mahoney had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Terriers.

Notable Numbers

Bucknell has five players with 38 or more 3-pointers in a season for the first time in school history (Toomer 58, Sotos 55, Funk 49, Ellis 47, Meeks 38). In fact, never before had more than three Bison made 38+ in a season.
Bucknell has done well to limit opponents' 3-point shooting in recent games. Over the last nine contests, Bison foes are just 39-for-157 (.248) from downtown. Over the course of the entire season, only four teams have made more than seven 3-pointers in a game against the Bison: Syracuse (14), Princeton (13), Colgate (14) and Lafayette (9).
Bucknell has held 16 of its 20 Patriot League opponents to 33% shooting or worse from 3-point range. The big anomaly came in the loss at Colgate, where the Raiders went 14-for-23 (.609) from the arc.
Kahliel Spear is 32-for-57 (.561) from the field over the last eight games, upping his season field-goal percentage to .524. Spear shot 59.7% in Patriot League play. Despite playing in a reserve role (14.5 mpg), Spear leads the Bison in 3-point play opportunities with 12. He scored a career-high 20 points in the win over American on Feb. 15, doubling his previous personal best.
Jimmy Sotos scored 20 points at Lehigh on Feb. 23 after combining for 20 in his previous four games. Sotos now has five 20-point games this season, the most on the team. He has remained hot since then, with 74 points in his last five games (14.8 ppg).
Sotos has multiple steals in nine of his last 11 games and now has 53 on the season. In the last 13 seasons, only Stephen Brown (57 in 2016-17) has had more.
Walter Ellis has made a 3-pointer in 16 straight games, and he is averaging 9.8 ppg off the bench in his last eight games. Ellis has multiple triples in each of his last eight games, and he now ranks second in the Patriot League in 3-point percentage at .412.
The Bison had been a solid free-throw shooting team for most of the season, but they have struggled of late. In the last eight games the Bison are 66-for-118 (.559) from the line.
In addition to getting back to a better percentage, the Bison would also like to earn more chances at the foul line. Opponents have attempted 161 more free throws this season, leading to a 488-374 scoring edge. Bucknell has attempted more charity tosses than its opponents in each of the last five seasons.
Bucknell has struggled to finish around to the basket this season. The Bison are shooting 47.7% from 2-point distance, which ranks 10th in the Patriot League, and that is after a strong 21-for-33 showing against American last time out.
Bucknell had a perfect day at the free-throw line at La Salle, finishing 18-for-18. That is the fifth-most free throws without a miss in team history. The Bison ran their streak to 25 straight made free throws before missing late in the Army game.

Possible Upcoming Milestones

Jimmy Sotos needs 12 assists to catch Cal Puriefoy (399) for seventh on Bucknell's career chart.
Sotos needs one more 3-pointer to move into the top 20 on Bucknell's career list. He has 110.
Sotos needs four steals to move into the top 10 on Bucknell's single-season list. He has 53.
Sunday's game will be the 100th of Sotos' career.
Paul Newman needs 14 points for 300 in his career.

Who's Got Next?

The Bucknell-Boston University winner will take on the Lafayette-Colgate winner for the 2020 Patriot League championship on Wednesday, March 11 at the site of the higher seed. As the lowest-remaining seed in the tournament, the Bison are assured of going on the road should they advance past the semifinal round.

Bison Visit Boston University for PL Tournament Semifinal Clash Sunday on CBS Sports Network

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Players Mentioned

Walter Ellis

Andrew Funk

John Meeks

Paul Newman

Jimmy Sotos

Jimmy Sotos

Kahliel Spear

Avi Toomer

Bison Visit Boston University for PL Tournament Semifinal Clash Sunday on CBS Sports Network

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Walter Ellis

Andrew Funk

John Meeks

Paul Newman

Jimmy Sotos

Jimmy Sotos

Kahliel Spear

Avi Toomer

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