Trending
PHLADELPHIA — Andre Screen matched his career high with 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds, and Ian Motta surpassed his personal best with 18 points, but the Bucknell men's basketball team dropped its first-semester finale 82-72 at La Salle on Tuesday night.
Xander Rice also hit double figures with 11 points as the Bison head into a 12-day break for final exams with a 6-4 record. La Salle, now 5-4 on the season, had five double-digit scorers and received 37 points from its bench. Reserve guard Andres Marrero, who had 14 points all season, led the Explorers with 16 in this one.
La Salle shot an even 50 percent from the field against a Bucknell team that had been holding opponents to 36.6% on the season. The Bison shot a solid 47.5% overall and hit 7 of 14 from 3-point range. It was only the third time all season they were kept under 50% from the field.
"We did a lot of good things tonight, but give credit to La Salle for playing very well on its home floor," said head coach Nathan Davis. "They were the more physical team tonight, and in a close game on the road the difference between winning and losing can come down to getting a few more loose balls on the floor and on the glass. We'll take some time off to let the guys focus on their academics, and then we've got a ton of positives to build from as we look ahead to the rest of the season."
Screen (15) and Motta (11) accounted for 26 of Bucknell's first 29 points on the way to stellar nights, but the Explorers made the game's first big run. La Salle ran out to a 22-7 lead, with four of its first six field goals coming from beyond the arc. The Bison got back into it with their transition game. Motta scored twice on the fastbreak, and then Rice had a breakaway layup after a steal. Screen's free throw capped an 11-0 run and got Bucknell back within 22-18.
The Bison still trailed by just four at 36-32 after a 3-pointer by Elvin Edmonds IV with 1:51 left in the half, but the Explorers pocketed the final nine points of the period to take a 41-32 lead into the locker room.
La Salle pushed the margin back into double figures early in the second half, but the Bison would not go away. Josh Bascoe hit a pair of 3-pointers from the right side, the latter making it a 56-52 game. The deficit was still four at 58-54 after two free throws from Jake van der Heijden, but the Explorers outscored Bucknell 16-7 over the next five minutes. Jhamir Brickus's 3-pointer at the 5:15 mark gave the home side a seemingly commanding 74-61 lead.
Bucknell had one last run, scoring six straight to pull within 74-67 after an Alex Timmerman layup. Rice's 3-pointer made it 78-72 with 1:56 to go, but the Bison came up empty on two chances to draw closer.
Twins Fousseyni (15) and Hassan (12) Drame, who were key contributors in Saint Peter's Cinderella run to the Elite Eight last March, both scored in double figures for La Salle. Brickus finished with 12 points, and Josh Nickleberry added 11.
La Salle finished with a 35-30 rebounding advantage and led 14-2 in second-chance points.