Saturday, January 30
Bethlehem, Pa.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
3-4,3-4Patriot
84
at
70
Lehigh
3-6,3-6Patriot
1
2
F
Bucknell
43
41
84
Lehigh
43
27
70
Photo by: Justin Lafleur
Bucknell Men’s Basketball Rides Big Second-Half Run to 84-70 Win at Lehigh
1/30/2021 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
**NOTE: Sunday's game vs. Lehigh has been moved up to a 2 p.m. start due to the forecast of inclement winter weather for later in the day.**
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – John Meeks recorded 23 points and eight rebounds, freshman Deuce Turner scored a career-high 17 points off the bench, and Walter Ellis hit three of his four 3-pointers in a 21-3 second-half run to carry Bucknell to an 84-70 victory at Lehigh on Saturday afternoon at Stabler Arena.
The Bison claimed their third straight victory – all against Lehigh – and improved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League Central Division. Lehigh saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the PL Central.
The game was tied at 43-all after a fast-paced first half. Lehigh shot out of the locker room with a quick 7-0 run to force a Bucknell timeout, but it was all Bison from there. Ellis hit a 3-pointer, and after a couple of Ben Li free throws, Bucknell scored 12 points in a row.
Turner tied the game with a driving layup and then gave the Bison a 54-52 lead with a pair of free throws. Miles Latimer picked up a loose ball and went coast-to-coast, and then Latimer fed Andre Screen on a pick-and-roll for a slam dunk and a 58-52 lead. A few minutes later, Ellis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to bookend the 21-3 spurt and give the Bison a commanding 64-53 lead.
A couple of second-chance buckets brought Lehigh within seven, but a deep 3-pointer from Turner pushed the margin back to double figures. Funk, Bucknell's leading scorer coming in, had just two points in the game before exploding for eight straight Bison points in a span of 1:27. His free throws with 5:33 left made it 75-63, and then Meeks followed with a fastbreak layup off of Turner's steal to give Bucknell its largest lead of 14 points with 4:20 to play.
"Give a lot of credit to the guys on the floor for not panicking," said head coach Nathan Davis of the team's response to Lehigh's run to start the second half. "Having a guy like John Meeks back in there gives us so much more experience. They guys just kept fighting, got a few stops, and the next thing you know the game was tied. Basketball is a game of runs, and the veteran guys really understand that."
Freshmen Turner and Screen combined for 25 points off the bench, and the young duo provided the highlight of the day when Turner flipped up a lob to Screen for an alley-oop jam in the first half. Screen had eight points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists in 20 minutes. Turner tallied 17 points and four assists, and he was terrific at the defensive end as well with three steals. He drew seven personal fouls on Lehigh and went 8-for-9 from the foul line.
"Deuce did a great job today," said Davis. "I thought when he first got in the game he really came out with great intensity on the defensive end of the floor. He got a few deflections and steals that led to baskets. We have always known about his offensive ability, but he has quickly learned that there are other things to do on the floor to be successful, and as he has improved in those areas it's allowed his offense to take off."
Ellis' 16 points marked a new career high. After hitting 3 of 5 from the 3-point arc on opening day at Navy, Ellis ran into a 3-for-19 stretch over the next five games. But he broke out in this one, equaling his career best with four triples.
"Walter is a very good shooter, and we know that as long as we can keep getting him good ones he is going to make a lot of threes," said Davis. "I thought he attacked the basket really well a couple of times early in the game, which is something that he can do."
A high-scoring first half ended in a 43-43 tie, even though neither team spent much time behind the arc. The Bison were 1-for-6 from long range and Lehigh 2-for-6 in the opening half. But while Lehigh went 1-for-8 in the second half, Bucknell warmed up and went 5-for-10.
The first half featured nine lead changes and five ties. Bucknell gained a bit of early separation with a 12-2 run leading to a 20-11 lead. Turner's layup at the 13:25 mark capped the run and made the Bison 9-for-12 from the field in the game, but they made just two of their next 10 attempts as the Mountain Hawks pulled even.
In one three-minute stretch late in the half the lead changed hands on seven consecutive scoring plays. A jumper by Xander Rice, who was 4-for-4 for eight points in the game, knotted the score at 43 with 30 seconds left.
Bucknell shot an even 50 percent in the game and was terrific at the foul line. The Bison started 22-for-23 at the stripe before missing their final two. Bucknell hit 6 of 16 from 3-point range.
Lehigh finished at 36.1 percent after being held to 8-for-35 (.229) shooting in the second half. The Mountain Hawks also shot well from the free-throw line (15-17) but were just 3-for-14 from the arc. Lehigh did have a 43-34 rebounding edge, including a 14-2 margin on the offensive glass, which led to a 14-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Bucknell and Lehigh meet again on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The contest will air live on both ESPN+ and WQMY-TV.
Gallery: (1-30-2021) Men's Basketball at Lehigh
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – John Meeks recorded 23 points and eight rebounds, freshman Deuce Turner scored a career-high 17 points off the bench, and Walter Ellis hit three of his four 3-pointers in a 21-3 second-half run to carry Bucknell to an 84-70 victory at Lehigh on Saturday afternoon at Stabler Arena.
The Bison claimed their third straight victory – all against Lehigh – and improved to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League Central Division. Lehigh saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 3-6 overall and 1-4 in the PL Central.
The game was tied at 43-all after a fast-paced first half. Lehigh shot out of the locker room with a quick 7-0 run to force a Bucknell timeout, but it was all Bison from there. Ellis hit a 3-pointer, and after a couple of Ben Li free throws, Bucknell scored 12 points in a row.
Turner tied the game with a driving layup and then gave the Bison a 54-52 lead with a pair of free throws. Miles Latimer picked up a loose ball and went coast-to-coast, and then Latimer fed Andre Screen on a pick-and-roll for a slam dunk and a 58-52 lead. A few minutes later, Ellis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to bookend the 21-3 spurt and give the Bison a commanding 64-53 lead.
A couple of second-chance buckets brought Lehigh within seven, but a deep 3-pointer from Turner pushed the margin back to double figures. Funk, Bucknell's leading scorer coming in, had just two points in the game before exploding for eight straight Bison points in a span of 1:27. His free throws with 5:33 left made it 75-63, and then Meeks followed with a fastbreak layup off of Turner's steal to give Bucknell its largest lead of 14 points with 4:20 to play.
"Give a lot of credit to the guys on the floor for not panicking," said head coach Nathan Davis of the team's response to Lehigh's run to start the second half. "Having a guy like John Meeks back in there gives us so much more experience. They guys just kept fighting, got a few stops, and the next thing you know the game was tied. Basketball is a game of runs, and the veteran guys really understand that."
Freshmen Turner and Screen combined for 25 points off the bench, and the young duo provided the highlight of the day when Turner flipped up a lob to Screen for an alley-oop jam in the first half. Screen had eight points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists in 20 minutes. Turner tallied 17 points and four assists, and he was terrific at the defensive end as well with three steals. He drew seven personal fouls on Lehigh and went 8-for-9 from the foul line.
Here's the pretty alley-oop from Turner to Screen from earlier! Could it be a @PatriotLeagueTV top play this week? #rayBucknell
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) January 30, 2021
Watch the game here: https://t.co/FvigL8IuG3 pic.twitter.com/5S7jQZM2VY
"Deuce did a great job today," said Davis. "I thought when he first got in the game he really came out with great intensity on the defensive end of the floor. He got a few deflections and steals that led to baskets. We have always known about his offensive ability, but he has quickly learned that there are other things to do on the floor to be successful, and as he has improved in those areas it's allowed his offense to take off."
Ellis' 16 points marked a new career high. After hitting 3 of 5 from the 3-point arc on opening day at Navy, Ellis ran into a 3-for-19 stretch over the next five games. But he broke out in this one, equaling his career best with four triples.
"Walter is a very good shooter, and we know that as long as we can keep getting him good ones he is going to make a lot of threes," said Davis. "I thought he attacked the basket really well a couple of times early in the game, which is something that he can do."
A high-scoring first half ended in a 43-43 tie, even though neither team spent much time behind the arc. The Bison were 1-for-6 from long range and Lehigh 2-for-6 in the opening half. But while Lehigh went 1-for-8 in the second half, Bucknell warmed up and went 5-for-10.
The first half featured nine lead changes and five ties. Bucknell gained a bit of early separation with a 12-2 run leading to a 20-11 lead. Turner's layup at the 13:25 mark capped the run and made the Bison 9-for-12 from the field in the game, but they made just two of their next 10 attempts as the Mountain Hawks pulled even.
In one three-minute stretch late in the half the lead changed hands on seven consecutive scoring plays. A jumper by Xander Rice, who was 4-for-4 for eight points in the game, knotted the score at 43 with 30 seconds left.
Bucknell shot an even 50 percent in the game and was terrific at the foul line. The Bison started 22-for-23 at the stripe before missing their final two. Bucknell hit 6 of 16 from 3-point range.
Lehigh finished at 36.1 percent after being held to 8-for-35 (.229) shooting in the second half. The Mountain Hawks also shot well from the free-throw line (15-17) but were just 3-for-14 from the arc. Lehigh did have a 43-34 rebounding edge, including a 14-2 margin on the offensive glass, which led to a 14-0 advantage in second-chance points.
Bucknell and Lehigh meet again on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Sojka Pavilion. The contest will air live on both ESPN+ and WQMY-TV.
Team Stats
Buck
Lehigh
FG%
.500
.361
3FG%
.375
.214
FT%
.880
.882
RB
34
43
TO
12
14
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
17
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
8
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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/ Men's BasketballG
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