March 6, 2003
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Over the last four-plus months, the eight Patriot League basketball teams have played 27 regular-season games, endured countless practices and watched miles of videotape, all in preparation for this single week. The hopes and dreams of eight determined basketball teams essentially boils down to a three-game season otherwise known as the Patriot League Tournament. Three more wins, and it's off to the "Big Dance" - the NCAA Tournament. For fifth-seeded Bucknell, the journey begins Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with a first-round matchup with No. 4 Lehigh. Just two weeks ago the Bison were flying high, coming off a weekend road sweep of Lafayette and Army that extended their winning streak to three heading into a two-game homestand to end the regular season. But how quickly momentum can be dashed. Bucknell dropped both of those contests in Sojka Pavilion, albeit to two of the top three tournament seeds in Holy Cross and Colgate. Now Bucknell must regather against the league's most improved team. The Mountain Hawks more than tripled their five-win total from a year ago, with two of their wins coming against Bucknell. Like the Bison, however, Lehigh struggled down the home stretch, losing four of its last five regular-season tilts.
the state of the bison
In one of the odder stretches of the season, Bucknell shot an even 50% from the field in two key road wins over Lafayette and Army two weeks ago, but back at home last weekend, the Bison shot a frosty 29.3% in two losses to Holy Cross and Colgate. Such twists of fate have been commonplace for a Bucknell team that in 2002-03 never lost more than three games in a row, but also never won more than three straight. On Jan. 21, the Bison lost a mid-week contest at Cornell for its third straight setback. Just when things seemed dire in Lewisburg, the Bison proceeded to win their next three games, holding Army, Lafayette and Colgate to a combined 128 points (their best three-game defensive stretch since 1947-48). And just when things seemed rosy in Lewisburg, three straight losses followed ... but then came another run of three straight wins ... but then came the defeats to Holy Cross and Colgate last weekend at Sojka Pavilion. For the Bison, the 2002-03 season has somewhat resembled the state of Iowa, with its gentle rolling hills. The peaks haven't been too high, but neither have the valleys. They only hope that another ascent begins on Saturday.
defense ranked fourth nationally
According to the most recent stats published Tuesday by the NCAA, Bucknell ranks fourth among all Division I teams in scoring defense, allowing a meager 58.7 ppg. Only Air Force, Miami (Ohio) and St. Joseph's are stingier on defense.
NCAA Division I Leaders: Scoring Defense (through games of 3/3)
1. Air Force 57.5
2. Miami (Ohio) 58.2
3. St. Joseph's 58.3
4. Bucknell 58.7
5. Wisconsin 58.7
6. Utah State 59.1
Holy Cross 59.1
8. Pittsburgh 59.8
9. UNC Wilmington 60.0
Butler 60.0
more nuggets on the bison defense
* Bucknell yielded a league-low 55.9 ppg in Patriot League games.
* In Patriot League home games, Bucknell allowed a paltry 51.0 ppg. Colgate's 64 points last Sunday were the most scored by a visitor to Sojka Pavilion. In PL home games, the Bison allowed 52, 60, 38, 48, 41, 54 and 64 points.
* Bucknell has held six opponents under 50 points, 13 under 60 and 20 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 22nd nationally in rebounding at 9.7 rpg, and he is tied for sixth in Division I in double-doubles with 16. Bucknell is 11-5 when Lalugba posts a double-double this season.
NCAA Division I Leaders: Individual Double-Doubles (through games of 3/3)
1. Brandon Hunter, Ohio 19
2. David West, Xavier 18
Chris Kaman, Central Michigan 18
4. Emeka Okafor, Connecticut 17
Adam Sonn, Belmont 17
6. Boakai Lalugba, Bucknell 16
James Singleton, Murray State 16
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse 16
9. Arthur Johnson, Missouri 15
10. Louis Truscott, Houston 14
herd seeking to become first sub-two seed to win pl title
For Bucknell to claim the Patriot League championship in 2003, it will have to erase the league's historical trend of only No. 1 or 2 seeds walking off with the nets. In fact, no team seeded lower than third has ever advanced to the championship game.
history not kind to no. 5 seeds
Historically, No. 5 seeds have not fared well in Patriot League Tournaments. Teams seeded fifth are just 3-9 in their first-round games. The only tournaments that saw a five seed advance were in 1994 (Fordham over Holy Cross), 1997 (Lafayette over Holy Cross) and 2002 (Lafayette over Colgate). All three times the No. 5 seed was then bounced in the semifinals, by an average margin of 18 points. Bucknell has been seeded fifth only once before, that coming in 1994. The Bison lost their first-round game to Holy Cross 96-91 that season.
Bucknell Tournament History
Bucknell has an all-time record of 13-12 in 12 Patriot League Tournaments, including a 3-1 mark against Lehigh. The Bison have reached the championship game four times and reached at least the semifinals in 9 of 12 years. Bucknell is one of five teams (Navy 13-8, Colgate 12-10, Holy Cross 14-9, American 2-1) to have a winning tournament record, but the Bison are still looking for their first Patriot League championship.
Bison PL Tourney Log
Year Seed Results
1991 4 def. Army 67-49; lost Fordham 82-76
1992 2 def. Army 74-55; def. Holy Cross 86-77; lost Fordham 70-65
1993 1 def. Lehigh 69-65; def. Colgate 75-73; lost Holy Cross 98-73
1994 5 lost Holy Cross 96-91
1995 2 lost Army 94-78
1996 4 def. Lafayette 56-55; lost Colgate 67-61
1997 2 def. Lehigh 84-54; def. Colgate 71-58; lost Navy 76-75
1998 3 def. Holy Cross 60-56; lost Navy 80-61
1999 3 def. Holy Cross 76-52; def. Lehigh 58-50; lost Lafayette 67-63
2000 3 lost Lehigh 73-62
2001 6 lost Navy 88-64
2002 3 def. Army 70-59; lost Holy Cross 64-57
scouting lehigh
The Mountain Hawks have been one of the most intriguing stories in the Patriot League in 2002-03. Lehigh suffered through a miserable 5-23 campaign just a year ago but turned things around dramatically this season under new head coach Billy Taylor, the league's coach of the year. Lehigh this year had its fifth win before final exams and jumped out to a 13-5 start. The Mountain Hawks also started hot in Patriot League play, winning their first five and seven of their first nine. A 1-4 finish, however, dipped Lehigh to the No. 4 seed. The Mountain Hawks are led by a pair of terrific senior scorers in Matt Logie (15.3 ppg) and Zlatko Savovic (14.6 ppg, up from 3.4 ppg last season). That duo combined to score 79 of Lehigh's 121 points in two games against Bucknell this season. With regular point guard Ra Tiah (8.6 ppg) likely out with a shoulder injury, Nick Monserez (3.5 ppg) joins Savovic in the backcourt. Expected to start up front are Matt Crawford (8.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Mike Cowgill (6.2 ppg). Lehigh scores 66.0 ppg, while allowing 64.0 ppg.
all-time series vs. Lehigh
This is the 137th game in the 101-year-old rivalry between Bucknell and Lehigh. The Bison have an 82-54 series lead, including a 23-5 mark since the start of the 1991-92 season. Bucknell had a 20-game winning streak against Lehigh snapped in the 2000 Patriot League Tournament, when the Mountain Hawks pulled off a 73-62 upset. Including a win in Bethlehem to close to the 2002 regular season and two victories this season, Lehigh has now won three consecutive games over Bucknell for the first time since 1990-91. (for a complete recap of this year's first two Bucknell-Lehigh contests, please see pages 26 and 30).
