Bucknell Drops Heartbreaker at St. Bonaventure, 65-62

E-mail

Justin Castleberry hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 22 points against St. Bonaventure.

Castleberry Scores Career-High 22 for Bison

Jan. 5, 2008

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Michael Lee scored 24 points, including the go-ahead 3-point play with 19 seconds left, helping St. Bonaventure deal Bucknell a heartbreaking 65-62 loss Saturday at the Reilly Center. Bucknell got a career-high 22 points from Justin Castleberry, but the Bison could not finish off the Bonnies after leading for most of the second half.

Stephen Tyree also had a career high with 10 points for the Bison (5-9), who now have six days off to prepare for their Patriot League opener against Navy next Friday night.

Zarryon Fereti scored 21 points for St. Bonaventure (6-8), which scored the final six points of the night.

The contest was knotted at 45-all with 11:38 to play when Castleberry ignited a 10-2 Bison run with a 3-pointer. After a Lee layup, Patrick Behan made two free throws and Josh Linthicum scored five straight points, the last three coming on a 3-point play after a nice drive and dish from Castleberry.

Bucknell still led by six at 55-49 when Jason Vegotsky had a 3-pointer waved off on a moving screen call, and the Bonnies answered with a 3-point play from D'Lancy Carter. Carter later capped a 9-0 St. Bonaventure run with a tip-in of a Lee miss, giving the Bonnies a 56-55 lead with 3:53 to play.

Behan responded with a 3-point play at the other end to give Bucknell the lead back. Lee made 1 of 2 free throws to make it a one-point game, and after a Bison turnover, Fereti drove for a contested layup to put the Bonnies ahead 59-58.

After John Griffin was called for an offensive foul, Castleberry rebounded a Tyler Relph miss and drove coast-to-coast for a short pull-up jumper in the key. Fereti missed a jumper at the other end and Griffin was fouled on the rebound. He made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 1:23 to play to give Bucknell a 62-59 lead.

Tyree came up with a steal with 1:11 left and was fouled. He missed the front end but hustled down his own rebound, and Bucknell called timeout with 1:05 to play. Vegotsky tried to put the nail in the coffin with a right-wing 3-pointer, but it rimmed in and out and Darren Mastropaolo was called for a push on the rebound.

St. Bonaventure faltered from the free-throw line, but the Bison could not get a rebound. First Lee missed both, but Hillary Haley rebounded the second miss and was fouled. He made the first and missed the second, but Relph tracked down the loose ball and was fouled. He made 1 of 2, and this time Behan was fouled on the rebound, but Behan missed both free throws at the other end with 19 seconds left.

St. Bonaventure went inside to Lee, who was fouled while making a layup, and his 3-point play gave the Bonnies a 64-62 lead.

Griffin missed an open left corner 3-pointer, and Lee was fouled with 11 seconds left. He made 1 of 2, giving the Bison a chance to tie, but Griffin's contested 3-point try was off the mark as time expired.

Seven of Bucknell's first eight field goals of the night came from 3-point range. The Bison started 7 of 12 from long distance with Castleberry hitting four of those and Jason Vegotsky two.

The Bison trailed by as many as nine early at 17-8, but back-to-back threes by Vegotsky and Castleberry got them back in it. Bucknell tied the game for the first time at 28-all on a fastbreak jam by Stephen Tyree after a pretty cross-court look from Castleberry. Two free throws by Tyree gave the Bison their first lead at 30-28 with 3:02 left in the half, and Bucknell led 32-31 at the break.

St. Bonaventure outrebounded the Bison 34-29 and outscored them 20-13 from the foul line. Bucknell shot 46.5 percent from the field and made 9 of 24 shots (.375) from 3-point range. After making the seven first-half treys, Bucknell was 2-for-7 from the arc in the second half, including the three rim-outs in big moments in the final minute.

Bucknell's Patriot League opener comes at home next Friday against Navy at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.