Saturday, February 25
Lewisburg, Pa.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
75
vs
65
Lafayette
Seniors Lead Way in Men’s Basketball’s 75-65 Win over Lafayette in Regular-Season Finale
2/25/2023 4:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UPDATE: Bucknell will play at No. 7 seed American in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament. Tickets are now on sale through Bucknell's Campus Box Office. A fan bus will be departing at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday from Sojka Pavilion. Limited seats are available and can be reserved for $25 by contacting Todd Newcomb at tnewcomb@bucknell.edu. Game ticket is not included.
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's basketball team closed out the Patriot League regular season with a 75-65 win over Lafayette on Saturday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The Bucknell Class of 2023 had a strong Senior Day, as Jake van der Heijden, Xander Rice, and Alex Timmerman combined for 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists in leading the Bison to victory.
The Bison (12-19, 5-13 PL) will be the No. 10 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and play at No. 7 American on Tuesday evening in the opening round.
Timmerman was one of three Bison players to score a team-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double and fourth straight game with 10 or more rebounds. Andre Screen added eight rebounds to his 16 points, while Jack Forrest contributed 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Returning to the starting lineup for Senior Day, van der Heijden made three shots from behind the arc, scoring nine points with five rebounds, while Rice added eight points and seven assists.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent in a fast-paced first half. The Bison used a 15-2 run to flip a 15-12 deficit into a 27-17 lead. Rice, Ian Motta, and van der Heijden all made 3-pointers in that surge, but Lafayette quickly closed the gap with a 12-2 run of its own, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Leo O'Boyle.
Bucknell went to the locker room with a 34-32 lead, and then the two teams combined to start the second half 2-for-11. Justin Vander Baan, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, hit a tough 3-pointer to give the Leopards a 43-39 lead. Screen answered with six straight Bison points, and then Forrest's 3-pointer with 9:28 to go ignited a decisive 17-3 run and gave Bucknell the lead for good.
Another Forrest trey made it 60-51, and after two straight moving screen calls on Lafayette and a missed 3-pointer, Screen and Forrest scored in the paint on back-to-back possessions to make it a 13-point game at 64-51 with 2:36 to play.
Timmerman's high-low alley-oop lob to Screen put the final nail in the coffin with just under two minutes to go, although a few missed free throws allowed Lafayette to get as close as eight with 16 seconds left.
The Bison offense shot 26-for-53 (.491) from the field, while the defense held the Leopards to 24-for-55 (.436), including just 10-for-28 (.357) in the second half. The post duo of Timmerman (6-8) and Screen (7-8) combined to go 13-for-16 from the field and logged 32 points and 18 rebounds.
Bucknell had 20 assists on 26 field goals with only nine turnovers, while Lafayette turned it over 14 times.
Bucknell and Lafayette had played four straight overtime games prior to this one. That streak ended as the Bison improved to 7-7 at home this season and 22-4 all-time against the Leopards at Sojka Pavilion.
The Patriot League Tournament begins Tuesday night with a pair of opening-round games.
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's basketball team closed out the Patriot League regular season with a 75-65 win over Lafayette on Saturday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The Bucknell Class of 2023 had a strong Senior Day, as Jake van der Heijden, Xander Rice, and Alex Timmerman combined for 33 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists in leading the Bison to victory.
The Bison (12-19, 5-13 PL) will be the No. 10 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and play at No. 7 American on Tuesday evening in the opening round.
Timmerman was one of three Bison players to score a team-high 16 points and added 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double and fourth straight game with 10 or more rebounds. Andre Screen added eight rebounds to his 16 points, while Jack Forrest contributed 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Returning to the starting lineup for Senior Day, van der Heijden made three shots from behind the arc, scoring nine points with five rebounds, while Rice added eight points and seven assists.
Both teams shot better than 50 percent in a fast-paced first half. The Bison used a 15-2 run to flip a 15-12 deficit into a 27-17 lead. Rice, Ian Motta, and van der Heijden all made 3-pointers in that surge, but Lafayette quickly closed the gap with a 12-2 run of its own, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Leo O'Boyle.
Bucknell went to the locker room with a 34-32 lead, and then the two teams combined to start the second half 2-for-11. Justin Vander Baan, who finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds, hit a tough 3-pointer to give the Leopards a 43-39 lead. Screen answered with six straight Bison points, and then Forrest's 3-pointer with 9:28 to go ignited a decisive 17-3 run and gave Bucknell the lead for good.
What a find by Xander to spot Forrest for the 3FG that has the Bison on top by 9 at the 5:00 mark. #rayBucknell
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) February 25, 2023
Watch: https://t.co/F9q8FOIxJu@PatriotLeagueTV | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/KfMxElSAQH
Another Forrest trey made it 60-51, and after two straight moving screen calls on Lafayette and a missed 3-pointer, Screen and Forrest scored in the paint on back-to-back possessions to make it a 13-point game at 64-51 with 2:36 to play.
Timmerman's high-low alley-oop lob to Screen put the final nail in the coffin with just under two minutes to go, although a few missed free throws allowed Lafayette to get as close as eight with 16 seconds left.
How about a little big-to-big alley oop!! #rayBucknell #PLTop3
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) February 25, 2023
Watch: https://t.co/F9q8FOHZTW@PatriotLeagueTV | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/7bI3Cfxick
The Bison offense shot 26-for-53 (.491) from the field, while the defense held the Leopards to 24-for-55 (.436), including just 10-for-28 (.357) in the second half. The post duo of Timmerman (6-8) and Screen (7-8) combined to go 13-for-16 from the field and logged 32 points and 18 rebounds.
Bucknell had 20 assists on 26 field goals with only nine turnovers, while Lafayette turned it over 14 times.
Bucknell and Lafayette had played four straight overtime games prior to this one. That streak ended as the Bison improved to 7-7 at home this season and 22-4 all-time against the Leopards at Sojka Pavilion.
The Patriot League Tournament begins Tuesday night with a pair of opening-round games.
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