Lehigh University men's basketball team drops 81-68 Patriot League contest to Bucknell

FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES

Sophomore guard Bryson Johnson led five double figure scorers with 18 points to lead the Bucknell University men’s basketball team to an 81-68 victory over defending Patriot League champion Lehigh at Stabler Arena.

It was the ninth straight win and 13th in 14 games overall for the Bison (15-7, 6-0 league), who remained the league's only unbeaten team. Bucknell went into the game with the sixth longest winning streak in the nation.

Lehigh coach Brett Reed was ejected after receiving a double technical foul for arguing a non-foul call with the Mountain Hawks trailing 46-27 with 16:53 left in the game.

Reed walked onto center floor after receiving his first technical and was immediately assessed a second technical which resulted in an automatic ejection.
He was replaced by associate head coach Matt Logie.

“Obviously we got a little frustrated,” said Logie, a sharp-shooting guard who scored 1,524 points at Lehigh from 2000-2003. “Ultimately it hurt us when they scored 18 or 19 points in the first eight minutes. That put us in a rough spot where we really had to claw and fight.”

The loss dropped Lehigh, which was coming off last Saturday’s inspirational 79-62 road victory over Lafayette, to 11-10 overall and 2-4 in the Patriot League.

Sophomore guard C.J. McCollum had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Mountain Hawks. McCollum was 14-for-14 from the foul line. Senior forward Michael Ojo, who scored 10 points, was the only other Lehigh player in double figures.

BUCKNELL (81)

Willman 4-6 2-2 10, Muscala 3-6 9-10 15, Johnson 4-9 6-7 18, Shazier 3-10 6-6 12, Cohen 2-7 1-1 5, Klebon 0-2 2-2 2, Tyree 0-0 0-0 0, Boon 4-8 0-0 11, Hill 0-1 0-0 0, Andoh 0-0 0-0 0, Brackney 0-0 0-0 0, Ayers 2-5 4-6 8. Totals 22-54 30-34 81.

LEHIGH (68)

Greiner 1-7 3-4 5, Knutson 3-9 5-6 11, McCollum 5-17 14-14 24, McKnight 0-9 0-1 0, Ojo 3-6 4-6 10, D'Orazio 0-0 0-0 0, Adams 0-0 0-1 0, Small 2-3 2-2 6, Keefer 2-3 0-0 4, McCarthy 1-2 2-4 4, Safstrom 0-0 0-0 0, Hamilton 1-3 2-2 4. Totals 18-59 32-40 68.

Bucknell (15-7) 37 44—81
Lehigh (11-10) 25 43—68

3-point goals—Bucknell 7-19 (Johnson 4-8, Boon 3-4, Ayers 0-2, Cohen 0-2, Shazier 0-3), Lehigh 0-13 (Hamilton 0-2, Ojo 0-2, McCollum 0-3, McKnight 0-3, Greiner 0-3). Fouled out—Cohen, Willman. Rebounds—Bucknell 33 (Muscala 9), Lehigh 46 (McCollum 11). Assists—Bucknell 16 (Shazier 7), Lehigh 9 (McCollum 4). Total Fouls—Bucknell 31, Lehigh 22. Technicals—Lehigh bench 2. Officials—Bill McCarthy, Lionel Butler, Andrew Marotta. A—555.