Saturday, December 3
Newark, N.J.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
6-3,0-0Patriot
79
at
63
NJIT
1-7,0-0America East
1
2
F
Bucknell
35
44
79
NJIT
20
43
63
Balanced Production Leads Bucknell to 79-63 Road Win at NJIT
12/3/2022 4:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEWARK, N.J. – Andre Screen celebrated his 21st birthday with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to lead a balanced effort at both ends of the floor in Bucknell's 79-63 win over NJIT at the Wellness and Events Center on Saturday afternoon.
Xander Rice scored a game-high 14 points, Elvin Edmonds IV scored 11, and Alex Timmerman had 10 and six rebounds to help the Bison improve to 6-3 on the season. Eleven different Bucknell players scored a point, and the bench totaled 26 to help the Bison match their best nine-game start in six years.
It was a familiar blueprint for the Bison, who shot 52.5 percent from the field while holding NJIT to 32.8 percent. It was Bucknell's seventh game out of nine hitting the 50-percent mark, as it came into the game as one of only four teams in the nation shooting over 50 percent while holding opponents under 38 percent.
The Bison took control with a 20-4 run in the early moments of the game, and they maintained a double-digit lead for the final 23 minutes on the way to their first road win in three tries this season.
"Total team effort today, which is what you need to win on the road," said head coach Nathan Davis. "With the exception of one brief stretch at the start of the second half, we were very solid defensively and held them to one shot. Offensively, we shared the ball very well, got paint touches, and got good minutes from the guys coming in off the bench. That's a good formula to win on the road, and we'll look to continue that on Tuesday when we go to La Salle."
Bucknell held NJIT to 6-for-28 shooting and only one offensive rebound in the first half. After the Bison fell behind 4-0, Timmerman scored six points in an 8-0 run that accounted for the only lead change of the afternoon.
Josh Adoh and Josh Bascoe hit 3-pointers in a 10-0 spurt that stretched the margin to 20-8, and a few minutes later, freshman Brady Muller joined the bench parade with his first career trey.
NJIT closed within seven at 25-18 when Kjell de Graaf hit the team's only 3-pointer in 13 tries in the first half, but the Bison responded with a 10-2 run heading into the locker room. Ruot Bijiek's long two in the final minute made it 35-20 at intermission.
The Highlanders started the second half 5-for-7, hitting two threes along with two Mekhi Gray put-backs, but they never got closer than 11 as Bucknell hit its first four shots of the half at the other end.
Leading 43-32, Ian Motta hit a corner three off a kick-out from Screen, and then Screen finished alley-oop lobs from Rice on back-to-back possessions to push the margin to 18. Jake van der Heijden hit two 3-pointers and converted a 3-point play on a put-back to help the Bison put the game away.
Bucknell shot 59.3 percent in the second half on the way to a national-best seventh game this season at 50 percent or better. The Bison were 10-for-23 from 3-point range, compared to NJIT's 6-for-26, and won by double digits despite being outscored 19-7 from the free-throw line.
Bucknell outrebounded NJIT 42-30 and limited the Highlanders (1-7) to seven offensive rebounds.
Winners of four of their last five games, the Bison will travel to La Salle on Tuesday night before breaking for 12 days for final exams.
Xander Rice scored a game-high 14 points, Elvin Edmonds IV scored 11, and Alex Timmerman had 10 and six rebounds to help the Bison improve to 6-3 on the season. Eleven different Bucknell players scored a point, and the bench totaled 26 to help the Bison match their best nine-game start in six years.
It was a familiar blueprint for the Bison, who shot 52.5 percent from the field while holding NJIT to 32.8 percent. It was Bucknell's seventh game out of nine hitting the 50-percent mark, as it came into the game as one of only four teams in the nation shooting over 50 percent while holding opponents under 38 percent.
The Bison took control with a 20-4 run in the early moments of the game, and they maintained a double-digit lead for the final 23 minutes on the way to their first road win in three tries this season.
"Total team effort today, which is what you need to win on the road," said head coach Nathan Davis. "With the exception of one brief stretch at the start of the second half, we were very solid defensively and held them to one shot. Offensively, we shared the ball very well, got paint touches, and got good minutes from the guys coming in off the bench. That's a good formula to win on the road, and we'll look to continue that on Tuesday when we go to La Salle."
Bucknell held NJIT to 6-for-28 shooting and only one offensive rebound in the first half. After the Bison fell behind 4-0, Timmerman scored six points in an 8-0 run that accounted for the only lead change of the afternoon.
Josh Adoh and Josh Bascoe hit 3-pointers in a 10-0 spurt that stretched the margin to 20-8, and a few minutes later, freshman Brady Muller joined the bench parade with his first career trey.
NJIT closed within seven at 25-18 when Kjell de Graaf hit the team's only 3-pointer in 13 tries in the first half, but the Bison responded with a 10-2 run heading into the locker room. Ruot Bijiek's long two in the final minute made it 35-20 at intermission.
The Highlanders started the second half 5-for-7, hitting two threes along with two Mekhi Gray put-backs, but they never got closer than 11 as Bucknell hit its first four shots of the half at the other end.
Leading 43-32, Ian Motta hit a corner three off a kick-out from Screen, and then Screen finished alley-oop lobs from Rice on back-to-back possessions to push the margin to 18. Jake van der Heijden hit two 3-pointers and converted a 3-point play on a put-back to help the Bison put the game away.
Xander & Dre got the lob game going! Two in a row here to make it an 18-point lead. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) December 3, 2022
Watch: https://t.co/HFMhVAMipH pic.twitter.com/3CWsSDc4fx
Bucknell shot 59.3 percent in the second half on the way to a national-best seventh game this season at 50 percent or better. The Bison were 10-for-23 from 3-point range, compared to NJIT's 6-for-26, and won by double digits despite being outscored 19-7 from the free-throw line.
Bucknell outrebounded NJIT 42-30 and limited the Highlanders (1-7) to seven offensive rebounds.
Winners of four of their last five games, the Bison will travel to La Salle on Tuesday night before breaking for 12 days for final exams.
Team Stats
Buck
NJIT
FG%
.525
.328
3FG%
.435
.231
FT%
.700
.679
RB
42
30
TO
12
6
STL
3
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballMichigan State at Bucknell Field Hockey Highlights 9-28-2025
Sunday, September 28
Saint Francis at Bucknell Football Highlights 9-27-2025
Sunday, September 28
Post Game Interview vs. SFU
Sunday, September 28
Boston University at Bucknell Men's Soccer Highlights 9-27-2025
Saturday, September 27