Saturday, December 18
Lewisburg, Pa.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
3-8,0-0Patriot
82
vs
70
La Salle
5-5,0-0Atlantic 10
1
2
F
La Salle
35
35
70
Bucknell
43
39
82
Photo by: Phil Inglis
Bucknell Storms out of Exams Break with 82-70 Win over La Salle
12/18/2021 4:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Appearing refreshed after finishing up final exams earlier this week, the Bucknell men's basketball team turned in one of its best all-around performances of the season in an 82-70 home win over La Salle on Saturday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. Andrew Funk scored a game-high 22 points and the center combo of Alex Timmerman and Andre Screen combined for 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bison.
Bucknell (3-8) snapped a three-game losing streak while halting La Salle's three-game winning streak. The Explorers (5-5) were led by Jack Clark with 18 points off the bench.
The Bison led for the final 36:45 of the game, thanks in large part to efficient shooting and one of their best defensive outings of the year. Bucknell shot 56.1 percent from the field and 50 percent (8-16) from 3-point range, and defensively the Bison set season bests in steals (9), forced turnovers (18) and blocked shots (5).
Bucknell stretched an eight-point halftime lead up to as many as 17, then weathered one La Salle flurry before icing it with a 7-0 run coming out of the four-minute media timeout.
"Just a great effort today, probably our best 40 minutes of basketball this season, and it all started with how we practiced the last few days leading up," said head coach Nathan Davis. "Being able to put aside the stresses of finals and a really challenging first semester allowed us to refocus, and we just had a couple of great practices. The guys have been working very hard, so it was great to see them rewarded. Now we have to get back to work and get ready for Richmond, who is probably the best team we've seen yet this season."
Funk entered the day as the Patriot League's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, and he upped his average after hitting 10 of 15 shots from the field and 2 of 3 from the arc. Freshman guard Elvin Edmonds IV made his first career start, hit three of his four 3-point attempts, and finished with nine points and four assists. Xander Rice tallied 14 points and four assists, Josh Adoh scored eight points off the bench, and Josh Bascoe had an assist and two steals to round out a productive day for the Bison backcourt.
The frontcourt unit was just as effective. Timmerman hit 5 of 8 shots and finished with 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Screen, who missed the most recent game at Princeton just before the 11-day finals break due to illness, was 6 of 9 from the field and logged 13 points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Malachi Rhodes added five rebounds and two assists in his 11 minutes.
Bucknell led 43-35 after a fast-paced opening 20 minutes, and the Bison stretched out the margin by hitting 6 of 7 shots over a four-minute stretch early in the second half. Rhodes made a great pass out of a double team to a cutting Adoh for a layup, and then Bascoe sent a long lead pass ahead to Timmerman for a layup and a 55-41 lead.
Later in the second half, Bucknell held La Salle scoreless for nearly four minutes and a 9-0 run gave the Bison their largest lead of the day, 17 points at 72-55 with 5:53 to play. Rice hit a 3-pointer to key the surge, and it was capped off when Edmonds rejected a shot on the defensive end, then fed Timmerman in the lane for a short jumper.
La Salle made one last run with a quick 8-0 flurry, sparked by five straight points from Khalil Brantley and a third-chance tip-in from Clark.
Bucknell took a timeout that triggered the under-4 media break, and the Bison ran a beautiful play out of the timeout that helped restore some order. Funk reversed his dribble and found Edmonds in the corner, and Edmonds fired a pass into Screen for a dunk along with a foul. After a La Salle miss, Rice fed Screen for another and-1 opportunity, and then Rice made two free throws 45 seconds later to complete a 7-0 run and give Bucknell a commanding 79-63 lead with 2:30 to go.
Edmonds iced it with his third triple of the day with 1:50 to play.
La Salle held a few small leads in the game's opening minutes, but Edmonds' trey at the 16:45 mark put the Bison up 8-7, and they never trailed again. After nearly three scoreless minutes, Adoh converted a 3-point play, and then Bucknell went up 19-10 on back-to-back threes by Adoh and Edmonds.
Clark got hot for La Salle, hitting two 3-pointers to start his own personal 8-0 run to get the Explorers back within a single point, but then Funk responded for the Bison. The senior had not attempted a shot in the game's first 11 minutes, but two straight drives to the basket followed by a 3-pointer gave him seven in a row and put his team up 26-18.
Bucknell scored the final five points of the half, all from Rice, to go up by eight at intermission.
After allowing three straight opponents to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, the Bison limited La Salle to 44.3 percent in this one. The Explorers were 9-for-24 from the arc and 7-for-11 from the foul line.
Bucknell has now topped the 50-percent mark in two straight games, and its 56.1-percent clip on Saturday was its best since shooting 64.3 percent in a 118-76 win over Lafayette on Feb. 24, 2019.
Now 3-1 at home this season, the Bison have now won three of their last four against La Salle.
Bucknell has two non-conference games remaining, both on the road. The Bison take on a 7-4 Richmond team on Wednesday afternoon. The Spiders have won four straight heading into a home game against Old Dominion on Sunday. Their most recent win was an 83-74 verdict over North Carolina State.
Highlights:
Postgame Press Conference:
Photo Gallery:
Gallery: (12-18-2021) Men's Basketball vs. La Salle
Bucknell (3-8) snapped a three-game losing streak while halting La Salle's three-game winning streak. The Explorers (5-5) were led by Jack Clark with 18 points off the bench.
The Bison led for the final 36:45 of the game, thanks in large part to efficient shooting and one of their best defensive outings of the year. Bucknell shot 56.1 percent from the field and 50 percent (8-16) from 3-point range, and defensively the Bison set season bests in steals (9), forced turnovers (18) and blocked shots (5).
Motta with the steal and the dunk! 👋
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) December 18, 2021
Watch: https://t.co/N65Gb57V4g#rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/JihzLU8nKL
Bucknell stretched an eight-point halftime lead up to as many as 17, then weathered one La Salle flurry before icing it with a 7-0 run coming out of the four-minute media timeout.
"Just a great effort today, probably our best 40 minutes of basketball this season, and it all started with how we practiced the last few days leading up," said head coach Nathan Davis. "Being able to put aside the stresses of finals and a really challenging first semester allowed us to refocus, and we just had a couple of great practices. The guys have been working very hard, so it was great to see them rewarded. Now we have to get back to work and get ready for Richmond, who is probably the best team we've seen yet this season."
Funk entered the day as the Patriot League's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, and he upped his average after hitting 10 of 15 shots from the field and 2 of 3 from the arc. Freshman guard Elvin Edmonds IV made his first career start, hit three of his four 3-point attempts, and finished with nine points and four assists. Xander Rice tallied 14 points and four assists, Josh Adoh scored eight points off the bench, and Josh Bascoe had an assist and two steals to round out a productive day for the Bison backcourt.
The frontcourt unit was just as effective. Timmerman hit 5 of 8 shots and finished with 12 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Screen, who missed the most recent game at Princeton just before the 11-day finals break due to illness, was 6 of 9 from the field and logged 13 points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. Malachi Rhodes added five rebounds and two assists in his 11 minutes.
Bucknell led 43-35 after a fast-paced opening 20 minutes, and the Bison stretched out the margin by hitting 6 of 7 shots over a four-minute stretch early in the second half. Rhodes made a great pass out of a double team to a cutting Adoh for a layup, and then Bascoe sent a long lead pass ahead to Timmerman for a layup and a 55-41 lead.
Later in the second half, Bucknell held La Salle scoreless for nearly four minutes and a 9-0 run gave the Bison their largest lead of the day, 17 points at 72-55 with 5:53 to play. Rice hit a 3-pointer to key the surge, and it was capped off when Edmonds rejected a shot on the defensive end, then fed Timmerman in the lane for a short jumper.
La Salle made one last run with a quick 8-0 flurry, sparked by five straight points from Khalil Brantley and a third-chance tip-in from Clark.
Bucknell took a timeout that triggered the under-4 media break, and the Bison ran a beautiful play out of the timeout that helped restore some order. Funk reversed his dribble and found Edmonds in the corner, and Edmonds fired a pass into Screen for a dunk along with a foul. After a La Salle miss, Rice fed Screen for another and-1 opportunity, and then Rice made two free throws 45 seconds later to complete a 7-0 run and give Bucknell a commanding 79-63 lead with 2:30 to go.
Andre Screen with the slam and 1!
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) December 18, 2021
Watch: https://t.co/MuW05DykQk#rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/fh4n8xpiQy
Edmonds iced it with his third triple of the day with 1:50 to play.
La Salle held a few small leads in the game's opening minutes, but Edmonds' trey at the 16:45 mark put the Bison up 8-7, and they never trailed again. After nearly three scoreless minutes, Adoh converted a 3-point play, and then Bucknell went up 19-10 on back-to-back threes by Adoh and Edmonds.
Clark got hot for La Salle, hitting two 3-pointers to start his own personal 8-0 run to get the Explorers back within a single point, but then Funk responded for the Bison. The senior had not attempted a shot in the game's first 11 minutes, but two straight drives to the basket followed by a 3-pointer gave him seven in a row and put his team up 26-18.
Bucknell scored the final five points of the half, all from Rice, to go up by eight at intermission.
After allowing three straight opponents to shoot 50 percent or better from the field, the Bison limited La Salle to 44.3 percent in this one. The Explorers were 9-for-24 from the arc and 7-for-11 from the foul line.
Bucknell has now topped the 50-percent mark in two straight games, and its 56.1-percent clip on Saturday was its best since shooting 64.3 percent in a 118-76 win over Lafayette on Feb. 24, 2019.
Now 3-1 at home this season, the Bison have now won three of their last four against La Salle.
Bucknell has two non-conference games remaining, both on the road. The Bison take on a 7-4 Richmond team on Wednesday afternoon. The Spiders have won four straight heading into a home game against Old Dominion on Sunday. Their most recent win was an 83-74 verdict over North Carolina State.
Highlights:
Postgame Press Conference:
Photo Gallery:
Team Stats
LaS
Buck
FG%
.443
.561
3FG%
.375
.500
FT%
.636
.769
RB
33
31
TO
18
15
STL
7
9
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
10
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballC
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