Bison Men's Basketball Honors Handed Out at Annual Awards Banquet

Captains Lalugba, Blankenship among the Winners

Boakai Lalugba

April 14, 2003

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Co-captains Boakai Lalugba (East Orange, N.J./Essex Catholic) and Dan Blankenship (Moundsville, W.Va./Wheeling Park) headlined the Bucknell men's basketball major award winners at the 2002-03 Backcourt Club Awards Banquet, held Sunday in the Terrace Room on campus.

Blankenship, a senior guard, captured two of the awards, including the Thomas A. Thompson Award for "spirit, intensity and outstanding defensive play" for an unprecedented third straight year. Blankenship and senior Jordan Hardenbergh (Herndon, Va./Bishop Ireton) were co-recipients of the Malcom E. Musser Award for leadership.

Lalugba was chosen for the Benton A. Kribbs Memorial Award for "outstanding contribution." Junior center Davorin Skornik (Cankarjeva, Slovenia/Berkeley Prep (Fla.)) won the Coaches Award as the team's most improved player, while 1976 Bucknell graduate Frank Schoeneman was presented the Backcourt Club Award. Finally, Blankenship, Lalugba, Hardenbergh and Brian Werner (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade) were given special Senior Awards in recognition of their four outstanding years of contributions to Bison Basketball.

Each of the awards were voted upon by the players.

Bucknell's "iron man" and defensive stopper, Blankenship started all 29 games in the Bison backcourt in 2002-03, extending his consecutive games streak to 115. He never missed a varsity game in his career and finished tied for fourth on Bucknell's career games played list.

Blankenship led the Bison in assists (104) and minutes played (981) this season. He wrapped up a fine career as one of only seven Bucknell players to record 300 career assists, finishing sixth all-time with 311. This season he averaged 7.9 points per game, and while he scored a season-high 15 points in Bucknell's Patriot League Tournament victory over Lehigh, his second-half defense on all-star Matt Logie played a significant role in helping the Bison gain a PL semifinal berth for the 10th time in 13 years. Blankenship recorded just the 19th 100-assist season in school history and ranked sixth in the Patriot League in assists.

A two-year co-captain, Blankenship was also honored for a pair of academic awards he earned this season. He was selected to the Verizon Academic All-District Team for the first time, and just last week he repeated as Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The Dean's List student will work for Price Waterhouse accounting firm following graduation.

Described by head coach Pat Flannery as a "colt" when he entered Bucknell as a lanky freshman, Lalugba matured into not only a powerful athlete, but one of the all-time great basketball players in BU annals. Lalugba finished his career ranked ninth on Bucknell's all-time scoring list with 1,334 points, and he became the first Patriot League player and second Bison to accrue 1,300 points, 700 rebounds and 100 steals.

A 6'6" power forward, Lalugba shot more free throws (567) than any other player in school history, and he finished ninth on Bucknell's all-time rebounding chart with 731. In 2002-03, Lalugba averaged 15.1 points and 9.5 rebounds. He posted 16 double-doubles, which ranked seventh nationally in Division I, and he led the Bison in steals with 45 and ranked second to Blankenship in assists with 62. In fact, he was the Patriot League assist leader among frontcourt players.

A four-year letterman and a behind-the-scenes team leader, Hardenbergh shared the Musser Award with Blankenship. Hardenbergh's contributions went well beyond the floor - he scored 13 points in 17 games this season - as he was widely considered one of the team's most popular players and an important veteran presence in the locker room.

Werner endured a disappointing senior campaign, one that ended after seven games due to a serious shoulder dislocation suffered in practice during the December exam period. Werner, a starting forward whose size and versatility made him a major threat both inside and outside, had been averaging nearly nine points and six rebounds prior to the injury.

Despite this year's shoulder injury and a foot ailment that caused him to miss the first seven games of the 2001-02 season, Werner graduates with 620 points and 401 rebounds in his career.

Werner's injury opened the door for Skornik to step into the starting lineup, and the 6'11" center showed much promise playing a regular role for the first time in his career. Skornik played in all 29 games, starting the last 21. He averaged just under 13 minutes per game and contributed 2.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He shot 54.2 percent from the floor and ranked second on the team with 14 blocked shots.

The Backcourt Club Award, given each year to a friend of the Bison basketball program, went to Schoeneman, the president of the Schoeneman Corporation in Pottsville, Pa., and a longtime acquaintance of Flannery. In addition to his annual generosity to the program and regular attendee of Bucknell games, Schoeneman was the driving force behind the 2003 Bucknell Basketball Kids Classic - the Jan. 5 game between Bucknell and Niagara at Pottsville's Martz Hall that benefited youth basketball in Pottsville, which is also Flannery's hometown.