Monday, November 3
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Delaware
Hoops Are Here! Bison Men Tip Off 2025-26 Season at Home Monday vs. Delaware
11/2/2025 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GAME DIGEST
What: Delaware (0-0) at Bucknell (0-0)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Monday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Eagle 107 and BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
TICKETS
COMPLETE GAME NOTES
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell opens up its 131st season of men's basketball action on Monday night when former Middle America Conference and East Coast Conference rival Delaware visits Sojka Pavilion. This is the third straight year these two teams have squared off in the season opener. The Blue Hens won 78-57 here in 2023, spoiling the Bucknell coaching debut of John Griffin III. The Bison returned the favor last season with a come-from-behind 85-73 victory in Newark.
Both teams played exhibition games last week. Bucknell fell 99-76 at No. 11 Louisville on Tuesday, while Delaware lost 86-65 at Saint Joseph's the previous Friday. Both squads will also have new looks this year. Looking back at last year's season-opener, Bucknell returns only 16 of its 85 points from that game, and Delaware returns only eight of its 73 points. Only two Blue Hens who played against Bucknell one year ago are on this season's roster.
Bucknell displayed many positives in Tuesday night's exhibition game at Louisville, but the Bison could not keep up with an epic 3-point shooting barrage from the 11th-ranked Cardinals and fell 99-76 before 13,840 fans at the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville connected on 23 of 46 shots from 3-point range, with all but eight of its field goals coming from downtown. The Cardinals made their fourth 2-point shot with 12 minutes left in the game, and they shot their way out of an early deficit as Bucknell jumped out to a strong start. Bucknell led for much of the game's first 14 minutes. It was 32-27 with 7:09 left in the half, but the Cardinals outscored the Bison 29-7 the rest of the way.
Ruot Bijiek led three Bison in double figures with 15 points. Aleksander Pachucki went 4-for-4 from the arc and scored 12 points off the bench in his first game in a Bucknell uniform, and freshman center Amon Dörries scored 11 points. Jayden Williams and Achile Spadone scored nine points each, and Grgur Brcic recorded seven points and a team-high six rebounds. Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. went 8-for-11 from the arc and recorded a game-high 28 points with six assists. Virginia transfer Isaac McNeely hit 6 of 9 from deep and scored 18 points for the Cardinals, who were picked second behind Duke in the ACC preseason poll.
Delaware finished 16-20 overall and 5-13 in the Coastal Athletic Association last season. After a tough regular season, the Blue Hens made an inspired run all the way to the CAA Tournament final as the No. 12 seed. They knocked off No. 13 Stony Brook, No. 5 Campbell, No. 4 William & Mary, and No. 1 Towson, and then playing their fifth game in five days, the Blue Hens lost a close 76-72 decision to No. 2 UNCW in the final. This is Delaware's first season as a member of Conference USA, and senior Cavan Reilly was named to the 10-man Preseason All-CUSA Team. Reilly averaged 12.4 ppg a year ago. The Blue Hens were picked 11th in the CUSA preseason poll and have a transfer-heavy roster. Christian Bliss, a Virginia transfer, led Delaware with 24 points in its exhibition game at Saint Joseph's. Camp Hill, Pa., native Tyler Houser added 15 points and six rebounds. Reilly did not play in the game.
Bucknell and Delaware first met all the way back in 1906. The Bison have compiled a 53-35 lead in the all-time series, and two seasons ago the two teams met for the first time since 2009. They are now playing for the third straight year, all on opening night. These two schools played a number of memorable contests as league rivals in both the Middle Atlantic Conference and the East Coast Conference. Bucknell's first-ever NCAA Tournament run started with a win over the Blue Hens in the 1987 ECC quarterfinals.
Last season in Newark, the Bison chipped away at an early 12-point deficit and then pitched a shutout over the final 3:18 on the way to an 85-73 win at the Bob Carpenter Center. Noah Williamson paced the Bison with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Bascoe and Ian Motta tallied 18 points each, and Elvin Edmonds IV scored six of his 14 in the game-ending surge. Erik Timko led Delaware with 20 points and John Camden added 19.
After Monday's game, the Bison will play their next two on the road, starting Friday night at Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers are coming off a championship season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association, and they defeated Patriot League rep American in an NCAA Tournament First Four game in Dayton. Mount St. Mary's opens up at West Virginia on Monday night.
What: Delaware (0-0) at Bucknell (0-0)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Monday, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Eagle 107 and BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
TICKETS
COMPLETE GAME NOTES
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Bucknell opens up its 131st season of men's basketball action on Monday night when former Middle America Conference and East Coast Conference rival Delaware visits Sojka Pavilion. This is the third straight year these two teams have squared off in the season opener. The Blue Hens won 78-57 here in 2023, spoiling the Bucknell coaching debut of John Griffin III. The Bison returned the favor last season with a come-from-behind 85-73 victory in Newark.
Both teams played exhibition games last week. Bucknell fell 99-76 at No. 11 Louisville on Tuesday, while Delaware lost 86-65 at Saint Joseph's the previous Friday. Both squads will also have new looks this year. Looking back at last year's season-opener, Bucknell returns only 16 of its 85 points from that game, and Delaware returns only eight of its 73 points. Only two Blue Hens who played against Bucknell one year ago are on this season's roster.
Bucknell displayed many positives in Tuesday night's exhibition game at Louisville, but the Bison could not keep up with an epic 3-point shooting barrage from the 11th-ranked Cardinals and fell 99-76 before 13,840 fans at the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville connected on 23 of 46 shots from 3-point range, with all but eight of its field goals coming from downtown. The Cardinals made their fourth 2-point shot with 12 minutes left in the game, and they shot their way out of an early deficit as Bucknell jumped out to a strong start. Bucknell led for much of the game's first 14 minutes. It was 32-27 with 7:09 left in the half, but the Cardinals outscored the Bison 29-7 the rest of the way.
Ruot Bijiek led three Bison in double figures with 15 points. Aleksander Pachucki went 4-for-4 from the arc and scored 12 points off the bench in his first game in a Bucknell uniform, and freshman center Amon Dörries scored 11 points. Jayden Williams and Achile Spadone scored nine points each, and Grgur Brcic recorded seven points and a team-high six rebounds. Freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. went 8-for-11 from the arc and recorded a game-high 28 points with six assists. Virginia transfer Isaac McNeely hit 6 of 9 from deep and scored 18 points for the Cardinals, who were picked second behind Duke in the ACC preseason poll.
Delaware finished 16-20 overall and 5-13 in the Coastal Athletic Association last season. After a tough regular season, the Blue Hens made an inspired run all the way to the CAA Tournament final as the No. 12 seed. They knocked off No. 13 Stony Brook, No. 5 Campbell, No. 4 William & Mary, and No. 1 Towson, and then playing their fifth game in five days, the Blue Hens lost a close 76-72 decision to No. 2 UNCW in the final. This is Delaware's first season as a member of Conference USA, and senior Cavan Reilly was named to the 10-man Preseason All-CUSA Team. Reilly averaged 12.4 ppg a year ago. The Blue Hens were picked 11th in the CUSA preseason poll and have a transfer-heavy roster. Christian Bliss, a Virginia transfer, led Delaware with 24 points in its exhibition game at Saint Joseph's. Camp Hill, Pa., native Tyler Houser added 15 points and six rebounds. Reilly did not play in the game.
Bucknell and Delaware first met all the way back in 1906. The Bison have compiled a 53-35 lead in the all-time series, and two seasons ago the two teams met for the first time since 2009. They are now playing for the third straight year, all on opening night. These two schools played a number of memorable contests as league rivals in both the Middle Atlantic Conference and the East Coast Conference. Bucknell's first-ever NCAA Tournament run started with a win over the Blue Hens in the 1987 ECC quarterfinals.
Last season in Newark, the Bison chipped away at an early 12-point deficit and then pitched a shutout over the final 3:18 on the way to an 85-73 win at the Bob Carpenter Center. Noah Williamson paced the Bison with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Josh Bascoe and Ian Motta tallied 18 points each, and Elvin Edmonds IV scored six of his 14 in the game-ending surge. Erik Timko led Delaware with 20 points and John Camden added 19.
After Monday's game, the Bison will play their next two on the road, starting Friday night at Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers are coming off a championship season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association, and they defeated Patriot League rep American in an NCAA Tournament First Four game in Dayton. Mount St. Mary's opens up at West Virginia on Monday night.
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