Gamecenter: Bucknell 48, Holy Cross 45
10 February, 2007| 1st | 2nd | Final |
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| Holy Cross (19-7, 10-1 Patriot) | 27 | 18 | 45 |
| Bucknell (16-8, 10-1 Patriot) | 22 | 26 | 48 |
| Sojka Pavilion – Lewisburg, PA | Boxscore |
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In the battle of the Patriot League behemoths, this time it was Bucknell that landed the final blow, defeating Holy Cross 48-45 with a comeback in the final minutes after trailing most of the game.
Despite Bucknell’s home league winning streak that dates back to 2005, it was the Crusaders who came out hot, staking a 12-2 lead, with 7 of those points coming from Keith Simmons. Bucknell managed to keep Holy Cross from running away with it, keeping their deficit to single digits the rest of the half. The Bison scored the final 4 points of the first half, and carried that momentum into the start of the second half, where an 11-1 run spanning the halves (including 7 points by Bucknell’s point guard Abe Badmus) gave the Bison their first lead of the game at 29-28. The Crusaders quickly reclaimed the lead, and it stayed a one-possession game for most of the rest of the night. Bucknell took a 4-point lead on a pair of Darren Mastropaolo free throws, but Torey Thomas scored 5 quick points for the Crusaders to reclaim control by a point with 7:23 to go. However, Holy Cross would fail to score another field goal until 12 seconds were left in the game, as the Bison bulled their way into control late on the play of John Griffin (5 points in the final 5 minutes). Bucknell nearly gave away the game late, going 0-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 20 seconds, which led to Holy Cross getting one last failed desperation attempt to tie the game. Simmons led all scorers with 15 points, and Thomas added 12 for the Crusaders. Bucknell’s only player in double figures was Justin Castleberry, who scored 10 points off the bench. Chris McNaughton had 9 points and 10 boards, and Badmus chipped in 9 points as well. The win ties the two teams atop the Patriot League standings. However, the tiebreaker for league tournament seeding (and therefore home-court advantage in the finals) is RPI, in which Holy Cross holds an edge. Bucknell could only host the Patriot League Tournament finals against the Crusaders if Holy Cross loses another league game. Holy Cross still has road games at Navy and Lehigh, and a home game against Colgate. |
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| Keys to the Game | |
| Key sequence | After Simmons hit 2 free throws to give Holy Cross a 42-39 lead, the Crusaders would not again score until seconds remained in the game. Meanwhile, Bucknell went on a 9-0 run to grab control, highlighted by a three-pointer by Griffin as well as perfect 2-for-2 performances from the free throw line by Darren Mastropaolo and Abe Badmus. |
| Key sign it was over |
Chris McNaughton missed 2 free throws that could have iced the game, and then a Simmons three cut the lead to 3, but with 12 seconds remaining, Holy Cross had to foul. However, Justin Castleberry also missed both free throws, allowing the Crusaders a last chance to tie it with a three. Torey Thomas’s attempt was off the mark as the buzzer sounded. |
| Key performance | Chris McNaughton had a big game, scoring 9 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also was instrumental in holding Tim Clifford to just 5 points and 1 rebound on the game. |
| Key statistic | Bucknell held the Crusaders to 4-of-18 shooting in the second half, slowing them down enough to catch up and pass Holy Cross despite their own poor offensive performance. |
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| Notes | |
| – | Thomas played the entire game. Pat Doherty, normally the first guard off the bench, played just 9 minutes. Little-used Colin Cunningham got 24 minutes, posting 7 points and 4 rebounds. |
| – | Bucknell’s starting shooting guard Jason Vegotsky was held scoreless, attempting just 1 shot. |
| – | The Bison won the battle of the boards 29-24. |
