Feb. 26, 2003
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When: Fri., Feb. 28, 2003 Holy Cross (9 p.m.)
Sun., March 2, 2003 vs. Colgate (3:15 p.m.)
Where: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
Radio: Bison Sports Network
WVLY (100.9 FM) - Flagship
WWPA (1340 AM)
WMBT (1530 AM)
Doug Birdsong, play-by-play
Dave Cohen, analyst
Internet Broadcast: www.BucknellBison.com
Television: (Friday) Patriot League TV
(DirecTV channel 611)
Bob Socci, play-by-play
John Feinstein, analyst
And then there were two ... red-hot Bucknell is down to its final two contests of the regular season, and both are against two of the top teams in the league. With Patriot League Tournament seedings hanging in the balance, the Bison host defending champion Holy Cross on Friday evening in the Patriot League TV "Game of the Week," then they battle Colgate on Sunday afternoon. Holy Cross has clinched the No. 1 seed at next week's tourney at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md., while Colgate enters the weekend in a three-way tie with Bucknell and American for third place. The good news for the Bison is that each of their two remaining contests are at home, where the herd is 7-2 this season. Bucknell, which will be looking for a sweep of the season series against Colgate and a split with Holy Cross, has won three games in a row, including a pair of crucial road wins last weekend at Lafayette and Army. The Crusaders and Leopards are also on rolls, having won seven and three straight games, respectively, entering the weekend.
the state of the bison
Bucknell appears to be getting hot at just the right time. As the Patriot League race has moved into full swing, the Bison have won three games in a row, including two key games on the road last weekend. A mix of the usual stifling defense and a resurgent offense was too much for Lafayette to handle in a 70-53 rout in Easton last Friday. And never mind Army's 0-12 PL record, Sunday's 66-65 victory at West Point was one of the Orange & Blue's most impressive wins of the season. Bucknell fought off a very hungry Army team on the Black Knights' Senior Day, winning on Dan Blankenship's free throws with eight seconds left. Bucknell shot 50% from the field on last week's road trip and hit the 70-point mark in a game for the first time since Dec. 9.
defense ranked third nationally
According to the most recent stats published Tuesday by the NCAA, Bucknell ranks third among all Division I teams in scoring defense, allowing a meager 58.6 ppg. Only Air Force and St. Joseph's are stingier on defense.
NCAA Division I Leaders: Scoring Defense (through games of 2/24)
1. Air Force 57.5
2. St. Joseph's 58.3
3. Bucknell 58.6
4. Miami (Ohio) 58.7
5. Wisconsin 59.3
6. Utah State 59.3
7. Pittsburgh 59.3
8. Pennsylvania 59.4
9. Holy Cross 59.5
10. Utah 59.7
more nuggets on the bison defense
* Bucknell is yielding a league-low 55.4 ppg in Patriot League games.
* In Patriot League home games, Bucknell is allowing a paltry 47.8 ppg. Lehigh's 60 points is the most scored by a visitor to Sojka Pavilion. In PL home games, the Bison have allowed 52, 60, 38, 48 and 41 points.
* Bucknell has held six opponents under 50 points, 12 under 60 and 19 under 70. Only Notre Dame (73), George Washington (80) and Arizona State (79) have scored more than 71 points against the Bison this season.
lalugba among nation's best
Bucknell senior power forward Boakai Lalugba enters the weekend ranked 18th nationally in rebounding at 9.9 rpg, and he is tied for sixth in Division I in double-doubles with 15. Bucknell is 11-4 when Lalugba posts a double-double this season, including wins in each of the last three games.
NCAA Division I Leaders: Individual Double-Doubles (through games of 2/24)
1. Brandon Hunter, Ohio 19
2. David West, Xavier 17
Chris Kaman, Central Michigan 17
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut 17
4. Adam Sonn, Belmont 16
5. Boakai Lalugba, Bucknell 15
James Thomas, Texas 15
7. James Singleton, Murray State 14
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 14
Arthur Johnson, Missouri 14
10. Travis Watson, Virginia 13
Louis Truscott, Houston 13
senior salute on sunday
Bucknell will salute five seniors in Sunday's regular-season finale against Colgate. Four-year lettermen Dan Blankenship, Jordan Hardenbergh, Boakai Lalugba and Brian Werner, along with manager Jessica Schoffel, will take part in their final home contest. Werner, who has not played since December due to a dislocated shoulder, is expected to dress for warmups.
lights, camera, action!
The Patriot League in 2002-03 has a new television deal with DirecTV, which airs six regular-season conference games on Friday nights. Bucknell appears on the "Game of the Week" for the second time this season Friday night against Holy Cross. In their first PLTV appearance, Bucknell defeated Navy 59-41 on Feb. 14. All four men's and women's Patriot League Tournament semifinal games, as well as the women's championship game, will also be televised. All games will air on DirecTV channel 611, a free channel available to more than 10.7 million subscribers. Bob Socci (play-by-play) and noted author John Feinstein (color) will call all of the action.
the skinny on the patriot league race
With each Patriot League team down to its final two games entering this weekend, only one tournament position is known for sure - Holy Cross will be the No. 1 seed. After the Crusaders, the standings are a mess, with five teams all separated by two games for the second through sixth positions. Lehigh controls its own destiny for the No. 2 seed, but Bucknell, American and Colgate all enter the weekend with 7-5 PL records. The possibility even exists of a five-way tie for second place (Bucknell would be the No. 2 seed in that scenario). Tiebreakers work as follows:
1. Head-to-head (or within the group if there's a multiple-team tie)
2. Record against other PL teams, beginning at top of the standings and working down
3. Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) on Monday, March 3
In a nutshell, with two games to play, Bucknell could find itself seeded second, sixth, or anywhere in between when the Patriot League Tournament begins on March 8.
scouting holy cross
The Crusaders have backed up their billing as preseason favorites to win the Patriot League title. They have clinched the regular-season crown with an 11-1 PL mark thus far, and Holy Cross is one of the winningest teams in the nation this season at 21-4. The Crusaders have lost only once since New Year's - a 72-49 loss at American Jan. 26 - and went a perfect 12-0 at home. The league's highest-scoring team (71.2 ppg), Holy Cross boasts extremely balanced scoring, with four players averaging in double-figures. Guard Brian Wilson (12.2 ppg) is the top scorer and has a deft shooting touch. He shoots 50% from the field, 43% from 3-point range and 93% from the foul line. Backcourt mate Jave Meade (11.6 ppg) has had a terrific season at the point, leading the conference in assists (162) and steals (54). Holy Cross is tough and experienced inside as well, led by former PL player of the year Tim Szatko (11.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Patrick Whearty (12.1 ppg, PL-best 57.7 FG%). Off the bench, Holy Cross can counter with 6-11 Nate Lufkin (5.2 ppg) or 7-6 Neil Fingleton (3.4 ppg) in the frontcourt, or deadly shooter Mark Jerz (4.7 ppg, 45.5 3FG%) on the perimeter.
scouting colgate
The Raiders have beaten Army, American and Navy in succession and are 4-2 since losing to Bucknell in Hamilton on Jan. 31. They feature one of the league's hottest players in guard Mark Linebaugh, who had a 35-point game (the most by a PL player this season) against Holy Cross earlier this month. Linebaugh (team-high 12.7 ppg) also hit a halfcourt buzzer-beater to beat American 60-59 on Friday. Howard Blue (12.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is a force in the paint. Dave Hardy (9.8 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Tim Sullivan (6.7 ppg) should start in the backcourt along with Linebaugh. The Raiders average 67.3 ppg and allow 66.2 ppg, and they are one of two teams in the league (Holy Cross is the other) with more assists than turnovers this season.
all-time series vs. holy cross
The Bison and Crusaders have met 31 times previously, with Bucknell winning 17. Holy Cross has won five of the last six get-togethers after Bucknell had won 10 straight from 1996-2000. The Crusaders have won the last two meetings in Lewisburg, but the Bison are 7-6 against Holy Cross at home all-time. The two teams had never met until joining the Patriot League in 1990-91. (for a complete recap of this year's first Bucknell-Holy Cross contest, please see page 29).
all-time series vs. colgate
Bucknell and Colgate meet Sunday for the 78th time, with the Bison clinging to a 41-36 series lead. Bucknell has won five straight and 9 of 10 in the series, including a 62-42 win in Hamilton on Jan. 31. Since the two teams joined the Patriot League in 1990-91, Bucknell has won 20 of 29 meetings. (for a complete recap of this year's first Bucknell-Colgate contest, please see page 29).
