Bison Work Overtime Again, Defeat Lafayette 65-62

NOTE: The next Bucknell Basketball Luncheon will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9 at the Bull Run Tap House on Market Street in Lewisburg. Coaches John Griffin III and Trevor Woodruff, along with select players from the men's and women's teams, will be on hand to talk about the season and answer questions.

JOHN GRIFFIN PRESS CONFERENCE:

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell senior Josh Bascoe scored a career-high-tying 23 points, including a 3-pointer that put his team ahead for good in overtime, and the Bison defeated Lafayette 65-62 on Wednesday night at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell found itself in overtime for the sixth time this season -- the most in Division I basketball -- and for the sixth time in its last eight matchups against the Leopards.

Bucknell won its second straight and improved to 2-1 in the Patriot League, while Lafayette fell to 1-2, with the two losses by a combined four points. In three rounds of Patriot League play, the home teams are now 15-0. The Bison are one of five teams tied for first place at 2-1, while the other five are all 1-2.

Bucknell led for over 36 minutes of regulation time, but Lafayette surged ahead in the final five minutes, stretching its lead to four, 54-50 with 2:40 remaining. Elvin Edmonds IV responded with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to one, and then Bascoe hit another to give the Bison a 58-56 lead with 33 seconds to go. The Leopards' Andrew Phillips collected an offensive rebound and put in a layup to tie the score at 58 with four seconds to go and the game went to overtime.

Both teams went scoreless for the first two minutes to start OT until Bascoe's trey gave the Bison a lead they would not relinquish. Ruot Bijiek followed with a put-back to make it 63-58 with 2:02 remaining, but Lafayette scored the next four to climb within 63-62 in the final minute.

With 20 seconds to go, Noah Williamson was called for basket interference as he tried to tip in Edmonds' running bank shot. The Bison, who were strong defensively for much of the night, came up with their biggest defensive stop when Williamson contested Caleb Williams' drive and forced a miss. The rebound fell back into the hands of Williams under the basket, but he lost it out of bounds with four seconds left.

Bucknell threw a long inbounds pass to Edmonds, who was fouled from behind before sinking two free throws with 3.4 to go. Lafayette missed a desperation shot as the final horn sounded, and the Bison improved to 3-3 in overtime games this season.

Bucknell is now within two of the NCAA record for overtime games in a season. Western Kentucky (1978), Portland (1984), and Valparaiso (1993) all played eight in a season. Including their two double-overtime games earlier in the campaign, the Bison have now played eight OT periods this season, adding up to a full 40 minutes of extra basketball.

Bucknell led by as many as 11 points on a few occasions. A 3-pointer by Bijiek and a put-back by Williamson stretched a six-point halftime lead to 11 at 38-27 early in the second half. It was still a 10-point game after Bascoe's floater with 13:08 to go, but Lafayette chipped away and took its first lead of the night with 4:20 remaining.

Ryan Pettit picked up a loose ball and laid it in for his only bucket of the game to tie it at 48, and then Alex Chaikin's short jumper gave the Leopards the first lead. The margin grew to four after two Mark Butler free throws with 2:40 left, but then Edmonds answered with perhaps the biggest shot of the night. The Bison went to Williamson in the low post, but he kicked it out to Edmonds who swished a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

After Chaikin made two free throws, Bascoe was fouled on a 3-point attempt. He made 2 of 3 with 1:23 left, and then Bucknell forced an air ball as the shot clock expired. At the other end, Bucknell found Bijiek in the center of the 2-3 zone and he kicked it out to Bascoe, who pump-faked around a flying defender and knocked down a go-ahead trey.

Bascoe fakes and drills the three to put the Bison back in front!

Watch: https://t.co/zLUg3HbSGd @espn | @PatriotLeagueHQ pic.twitter.com/9EvTq0llT0
— Bucknell MBasketball (@Bucknell_MBB) January 9, 2025

After an exchange of timeouts with 8.1 ticks left, Vander Baan barely grazed the rim with a 3-point try, but Phillips grabbed the rebound and stuck it back in to tie the game at 58. Bucknell inbounded to mid-court and called timeout, but on the restart Williamson slipped and fell and was called for traveling. Phillips couldn't get a shot to go at the buzzer, and remarkably, the Bison and Leopards went to OT for the sixth time in their last eight matchups.

Bascoe, who hit six 3-pointers at Syracuse on Dec. 28, went 5-for-10 from deep in this one. His 23 points matches his personal best, set last season at Lehigh. Williamson joined Bascoe in double figures with 16 points and led the Bison with eight rebounds.

Four Leopards scored in double figures, led by Phillips with 16. Vander Baan had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Chaikin finished with 13 and Williams 11.

The Bison shot 40.3 percent from the field compared to Lafayette's 42.6 percent, but Bucknell outscored the Leopards 27-9 from 3-point range. The Bison were 9-for-28 while Lafayette finished 3-for-17.

Next up for Bucknell is a trip to American on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Eagles are off to a 1-2 start in league play after falling 60-54 at Boston University on Wednesday night. American is 4-1 at home this season, with the only loss coming in double-overtime to UMBC.

Bison Work Overtime Again, Defeat Lafayette 65-62

Players Mentioned

Josh Bascoe

Ruot Bijiek

Elvin Edmonds IV

Noah Williamson

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