Feb. 15, 2006
Box Score | Photo Gallery
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - For the opening ten minutes of action, it seemed like Lafayette was doing everything according to plan. The Leopards controlled the tempo, made open shots and forced turnovers on the defensive end. Then the tide turned as No. 24 Bucknell closed the half on an 18-3 run that all but put the game away. The Bison left with a 69-49 win over Lafayette on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center.
Bucknell (21-3, PL 12-0) came into the contest as the first Patriot League team ever to be ranked, falling in at No. 24 in both the ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press top-25 polls.
Sophomore guard Bilal Abdullah drilled a triple with 9:30 on the clock, knotting the score at 17 all. Lafayette (10-14, PL 4-7) came up empty on the next five possessions, allowing Bucknell to open a 26-18 lead with 5:38 remaining in the half. A Matt Betley layin ended the Leopards' drought, but Bucknell continued to pile on the points, using an 18-3 run to take a 35-20 lead at the break.
Senior guard Pat Betley scored the first five points of the second stanza, including a three from the right wing, to trim Bucknell's lead to 35-25 just 53 seconds in. Over the next 5:20, Bucknell outscored the Leopards 15-6 to open its largest lead of the game, 50-31, with 13:17 remaining. The Bison continued to break into Lafayette's zone and the Herd's lead swelled to 67-42 with just over two minutes to play.
Lafayette shot 30 percent (15-of-50) from the floor, while Bucknell hit for 59 percent (26-of-45) on the night.
For the seventh straight game, senior forward Andrei Capusan (12 points) led the Leopards in scoring. The 6-8 co-captain also snared a team-high eight boards. Abdullah added 10 points, while Matt Betley and rookie Andrew Brown pitched in seven and six points, respectively. Brown harassed the Bison for a career-high six steals.
Lafayette did manage to force Bucknell into 23 turnovers, matching a season-high for the Leopards. Bucknell entered the game averaging just over 15 giveaways per contest. Paced by Brown, the Leopards came away with a season-high 16 steals.
Four Bucknell players finished in double-figures, led by senior guards Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt with 14 apiece. Thirteen of Lee's scores came before the break, but the veteran completed the double-double with 11 boards.
Lafayette heads west on I-78 to Lehigh for a Sunday match-up with the Mountain Hawks at 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
-Lafayette played without starting guard Jamaal Hilliard (broken finger), while starting forward Ted Detmer played just 11 minutes as he is still hampered with an ankle sprain.
-The Leopards hosted a ranked opponent for the first time in 19 years when Navy escaped with a 75-71 win on College Hill back on Jan. 14, 1987.
-Senior Andrei Capusan has now scored in double-digits in the last seven contests.
-Lafayette's defense has forced opposing teams into 20-plus turnovers on four occasions. The team's 23 tonight matched a season-high hit at Columbia on Dec. 10.
