Category: Sports

By Alex Wagner

Writer

Steven Kaspar:

Height: 6 ft. 2 in.

Weight: 181 lbs.

Position: Guard

Hometown: Lakeland, Tenn.

High School: Evangelical Christian

Stats: 17.7 minutes/game, 2.6 points/game, 2.7 rebounds/game

Steven Kaspar joins the Bison ranks after four years as a varsity letterman at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, Tenn. His impressive list of accolades highlights a very successful high school career. He was a McDonald’s All-America nominee, first team all-region selection, and a finalist for Mr. Basketball in Tennessee. In his senior year he led his team to the Class 2-A state championship, earning tournament MVP after scoring a total of 51 points in the final two games. Kaspar has been one of the main players responsible for filling the big role left by First Team All-Patriot League point guard Darryl Shazier ’11. If he continues to play beyond his years, Kaspar will undoubtedly be a main contributor to the Bison’s effort for postseason success.

Joshea Singleton:

Height: 6 ft. 3 in.

Weight: 212 lbs.

Position: Guard

Hometown: Kinston, N.C.

High School: Kestrel Heights

Stats: 9.5 minutes/game, 3.7 points/game, 1.6 rebounds/game

Joshea Singleton brings his talents to the Orange and Blue from North Carolina, a state with rich basketball history. At Kestrel Heights School in Durham, he was elected team captain as a senior, leading his side with over 16 points per game. He put up impressive numbers as a junior as well, with 14.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. But Singleton was not only a leader on the basketball court. He was also honored as Kestrel Heights’ valedictorian for the class of 2011. So far in his collegiate career, he has shown that he is an extremely hard worker and an explosive player. 

Cory Starkey:

Height: 6 ft. 7 in.

Weight: 208 lbs.

Position: Forward

Hometown: Petoskey, Mich.

High School: Petoskey

Stats: 5.1 minutes/game, 1.3 points/game, 1.3 rebounds/game

Cory Starkey joins the Bison basketball program after an impressive high school career. As a senior at Petoskey High School, Starkey averaged 21.6 points, eight rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. His performances led his team to a 22-2 record as well as conference and district titles. His individual accolades include Class A all-state selection, Detroit Free Press All-State team, and two-time Big North Conference Player of the Year. Starkey was also a standout in track and field, where he lettered four times en route to becoming the conference high jump champion as well as school record holder. 

Coming to the Bison to continue his basketball career did not take too much deliberating.

“I have always dreamed about playing at the Division I level, so when playing basketball at Bucknell became an option for me. Along with the great academics, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity,” he said.

There is no doubt in Starkey’s mind that he has already improved since arriving.

“The intensity and competition at the college level has been an adjustment for me, but it has helped me improve a lot as a player,” he said.

Starkey will undoubtedly continue to grow as a player and serve the Orange and Blue well.

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

During a tough 72-67 loss to the Loyola Greyhounds on Dec. 28, Mike Muscala ’13 netted his 1,000th career point, making him the 34th player in program history to reach the milestone. Muscala finished the game with 24 total points with his 1,000th coming off of a second-half free throw.

“It’s a special achievement and it puts me in the company of some the best players to have ever played here,” Muscala said.

Throughout his career, the junior center has been praised not only for his ability to put up big numbers in the scoring column, but also his great rebounding capability and stout defensive presence. On top of his 1,000 points, Muscala has racked up more than 500 rebounds and 150 blocks halfway through his third season, making him just the third person in Patriot League history with these credentials.

“Mike overall is our best player on the team,” teammate Bryan Cohen ’12 said. “He is the hardest worker and makes sure everyone on the team is working their hardest at every practice, which has allowed us to be so successful.”

Starting his collegiate career in 2009, Muscala has quickly established himself as an elite player in the Patriot League. As a first-year, Muscala was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team and became just the fourth player in league history to be named to the All-Patriot League Team as a rookie. Muscala earned Patriot League Player of the Year last year after leading the Orange and Blue to their first league championship since 2006.

“Mike has improved every aspect of his game from his freshman year,” Cohen said.  “His improved strength has allowed him to become a dominant force in the post and on the glass and has increased his overall confidence on the offensive floor. I believe he has established himself as hands down the best player in the league.”

This season, Muscala has picked up where he left off, averaging a team-high 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. His consistently strong play has allowed the Bison to open Patriot League play at 5-0 with key wins against Lafayette and Lehigh, giving them an early edge in their quest to defend as league champs.

“Before I graduate, I want two more league championships. I’m confident we can do it if we take it one game at a time,” Muscala said. “And if we do make it back to the NCAA tournament, I want to win games.”

After becoming league champions last season, the Bison fell in the first round of the NCAA tournament to eventual champion UConn. To earn another tournament bid, the Orange and Blue will have to continue its dominant league play for the remainder of their regular season and hope to once again earn home-court advantage for the Patriot League tournament. On Saturday, the Orange and Blue will complete their first half of league play against the Midshipmen in Annapolis.

 

By Thomas Walter

Writer

The men’s basketball team had very little time over winter break to relax. Instead the Bison played teams such as George Mason, Richmond and No. 1 Syracuse in order to gain more experience in hopes of repeating as Patriot League Champions.

The Bison lost to George Mason 61-57, beat Richmond 79-65 and outscored Syracuse for most of the second half, but lost 80-61.

“It was a great experience for myself and my team because we were going to get to play in front of thousands in the Carrier Dome. We had nothing to lose and could just go out and have fun and play our game,” Cameron Ayers ’14 said.

Ayers had a couple of great games over winter break, scoring a career-best 23 points against George Mason and then against Richmond. 

“We definitely learned we can play with any team in the country and we can win. It was a good experience to play against different types of defenses and different types of players outside of the patriot league that will prepare us to succeed in the future,” Ayers said.

By playing such a tough winter break schedule, Coach Dave Paulsen and the Orange and Blue hoped to better prepare themselves to achieve their ultimate goal of another Patriot League Championship and NCAA tournament bid.

“The team needs to focus on one game at a time,” Ayers said. “We need to prepare mentally and physically for each opponent in order to win. We have a target on our back but it just makes the journey that more fun and challenging.”

Ayers was not the only Bison to have a successful stretch of games over winter break. Mike Muscala ’13, last year’s Patriot League Player of the Year, scored his 1,000th point, becoming the 33rd player in program history to reach this number. He is also the 17th person in program history to reach both the 1,000 point and 500 rebound marks.

Coming off their tough schedule, the Bison look poised to make another run at the league title. Starting their league play with six straight wins, the Orange and Blue currently sit atop the standings and have shown that they are the team to beat this season.

By Eric Brod

Staff Writer

After the resignation of longtime women’s basketball coach Kathy Fedorjaka, assistant coach Bill Broderick has been named interim coach for the remainder of this season. Broderick is currently serving his second year on the coaching staff and most recently served as an assistant coach at Elon from 2008 to 2010 and Pittsburgh from 1998 to 2002.

While winless in the Patriot League, the team has played well since Broderick took over coaching responsibilities.

“There hasn’t been much adjustment because Coach Broderick was already a part of the program and kept things going very well,” Rachel Voss ’13 said. “However, the most difficult thing for the team immediately following Coach Fed’s resignation was handling the surprise and staying focused on the upcoming games.”

On both offense and defense, the players have responded positively to Coach Broderick, even if the results are yet to be seen in the win-loss column. 

“We’ve all responded so well to Coach B stepping in to the head coaching position,” Alyssa Dunn ’13 said. “We already had a great relationship with him, and he, Coach Langford and Coach Adams have really been doing everything they can to make the transition as seamless as possible. The entire team is focused on moving forward with the season and we are excited to see what lies ahead for us. 

“Defensively, we have been putting a lot of focus on maintaining constant full-court pressure on defense. Offensively, we’ve started utilizing a scheme that contains more motion-oriented sets that give us the chance to freelance and create the best possible shots for ourselves and our teammates,” Dunn said.

While the results do not yet show it, this young Bison squad has shown poise amidst great change and is primed for an improved finish to the 2011-2012 campaign.

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

Facing the toughest obstacle of its conference schedule, the men’s basketball team overcame an early six-point deficit to knock off the American Eagles 67-61 in a battle for first place in the Patriot League Wednesday night, after beating Holy Cross at home on Saturday 75-41.

Behind another double-double performance from defending Patriot League Player of the Year Mike Muscala ’13, the Orange and Blue kept their league record unblemished at 6-0.

“Beating American was a huge win for us,” Muscala said. “They’re a good team that always plays us tough, but I think we matched up well with them.”

The second basket of the game came on a three-pointer from Bryan Cohen ’12, which gave him 1,000 points for his career in his final season in a Bison uniform. Despite his offensive milestone, it was his lock-down defense throughout the contest that provided the spark the Orange and Blue needed to pull out a hard-fought victory.

After several conference games of being guarded tightly and struggling to get open shots, Bryson Johnson ’13 finally found his stroke from behind the arc, nailing three key three-pointers in the second half. Johnson finished with 13 points, second behind Muscala’s 21.

“Honestly, every game in the Patriot League is huge because we want to have sole possession of first place to host all the tournament games in Sojka,” Cohen said. “However, this was a pivotal game since the winner of this game holds the outright number one spot. We were definitely ready to battle on Wednesday night.”

Earlier on in the week, the Orange and Blue turned in maybe their most impressive showing of the season in a 75-41 victory over a fading Holy Cross Crusaders squad. Despite starting off the game cold on offense, the Bison found their stroke and stepped on the gas peddle, outscoring the Crusaders by 23 in the second half.

“The Holy Cross game showed we’re the best team in the league, and why we were unanimously picked in the preseason to repeat as champs,” said Brian Fitzpatrick ’13, who finished with nine points. “We came out of the second half focused to continue to dominate the game. We thought Holy Cross would come out with more energy, but that didn’t happen.”

The lopsided win was the widest margin of victory for the Orange and Blue ever against their bitter rival Holy Cross.

The story of the contest was the balanced offensive attack from the Orange and Blue. All but two Bison scored in the game and three, Cameron Ayers ’13, Cohen and Muscala, finished in double figures.

“Everyone played well against Holy Cross and what makes our team special and hard to beat is our collective unselfishness,” Muscala said. “I think it’s very important that we maintain that aspect of our team.”

Riding an eight-game winning streak, the Bison will travel to Navy Saturday night in a battle between the first and last place teams in the Patriot League. The contest marks the final match-up for both teams in their first go-around of conference play. Despite facing a team with no league wins, the Orange and Blue are remaining focused.

“We’re the defending champs, and we’re committed every day to winning the Patriot League again this year,” Muscala said. “The only statement we’re looking to make is at the end of the conference tournament, and we can’t lose sight of that.”

By Andrew Arnao

Writer

The wrestling team fell to No. 13 Lehigh 25-15 on Saturday, leaving the Orange and the Blue 2-11 overall this season and 2-1 in the EIWA.

Austin Miller ’15 won the first bout with a 7-3 decision at 125 pounds, raising his team-leading total of wins to 15.

“I thought our team wrestled well against Lehigh,” Miller said. “We improved, at least since our trip to Virginia earlier this month. There were some team points that we missed earning or gave up too easily in the match, including mine where I feel I should have picked up the major [victory].”

After Miller’s decision, victories came in sets of three. The Mountain Hawks rattled off three straight decisions to take an 11-3 lead. The Bison fought back with a pin by Corey Lear ’13, sandwiched between two decisions by John Regan ’12 and Stephen McPeek ’14, to take a 15-11 lead.

“[Austin] Miller had a great win at 125 pounds to get the ball rolling for the team,” Regan said.  “Corey Lear’s pin at 165 pounds was key for Bucknell to stay in the match with six points. McPeek at 174 pounds had a nail-biter and scored a takedown to win in the last 10 seconds.”

Lehigh managed to win the last three sets behind No. 4 Robert Hamlin and defending national heavyweight champion Zach Rey.

“Lehigh is very tough, year after year, and I think that was one of the best showings we have ever had against them, despite giving up a forfeit [to Hamlin],” Miller said.

The Bison are on the road to George Mason today and travel to Stillwater, Okla. to face Binghamton and Oklahoma State on Sunday.

“This upcoming week heading out to Oklahoma State will be an exciting experience,” Lear said. “It will give some of us a chance to wrestle some of the top wrestlers in the country. This doesn’t mean we are going to overlook George Mason, this will be a good match to pull together as a team and win.”

With just two wins to date, the Orange and Blue squad knows that it must capitalize on any opportunity to win.

“We should go into this weekend expecting to win all three of our matches,” Miller said. “If everyone puts together the best match of their life next Sunday night, we can win that dual match. If we don’t believe that we can win, we have no business even stepping on the mat.”

 

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s basketball team struggled this past week with back-to-back road losses to Holy Cross and American, dropping their record to 2-19 overall and 0-6 in Patriot League play.

At Holy Cross on Saturday, a 20-0 run in the first half allowed the Crusaders to pull away for a 70-53 victory against the Bison. Forward Felicia Mgbada ’13 scored the first basket of the game, but the Orange and Blue went scoreless for nearly 10 minutes after that initial shot.

The Bison had difficulty shooting, as they went nine for 28 from the field in the first half. Holy Cross also scored 26 points in the paint, finishing with 36 for the game.

Behind 39-22 at halftime, the Bison tried to chip away at the lead but were unable to overcome the deficit. Their shooting woes continued in the second half. The Bison went nine for 27 from the field while Holy Cross shot 13 for 23.

The Crusaders also outscored the Bison 20-2 in fastbreak points.

Rachel Voss ’13 scored a team high 17 points for the Bison. Alyssa Dunn ’13 added 10 points and forward Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 pulled down nine rebounds.

“It was an unfortunate loss for us and we didn’t put a full 40 minutes together. It was good to see some offensive success in some of our new sets,” Voss said. “Beyond their 20-point run, we played them in an even battle. It’s about making adjustments and playing for the whole game.”

On Wednesday the Bison fell to American 71-45. The game was close for much of the first half, but turnovers plagued the Orange and Blue. The Eagles finished with 38 points from turnovers for the game.

The Bison trailed 33-21 at halftime, and American’s bench kept the Orange and Blue from making a comeback in the second half. The Eagles outscored the Bison 35-8 in bench points and 36-16 in points in the paint.

Horbatuck had a double-double, finishing with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Guards Shelby Romine ’14 and Voss also scored in double digits, combining for 21 points.

The Bison shot 40.5 percent from the field and forced 14 turnovers against the Eagles.

The Bison will look to rebound when they return home to face Navy on Jan. 28 and follow that with a road test against Army on Feb. 4.

By Lindsay Regruto

Staff Writer

Elizabeth Porcellio ’13 won three individual events while Tara Boyle ’15, Tori Molchany ’15, and Katie Hetherington ’15 took the top three spots in both diving events to lead the women’s swimming and diving team to a 189-111 victory at Lehigh on Saturday.

“The diving team did really well against Lehigh. We all worked hard in practice in the week before the meet, which really helped us all to perform well … I’m really proud of the whole team,” Boyle said.

Porcellio was named Patriot League Female Swimmer of the Week and Molchany Female Diver of the Week for their efforts. The awards were firsts for both women this season.

Boyle, Molchany and Hetherington all scored above 235 in the one-meter dive. Boyle’s 249.74 places her fifth in program history. Molchany moved to eighth in program history on the one-meter with 236.24 and fifth on the three-meter with 255.30.

Porcellio took first in the 200-yard freestyle, 100 fly, and 200 IM, setting a career best at 58.52 in the 100 fly. Two other Bison posted multiple wins–-Kelly Pontecorvo ’14 in the 500 and 1,000 free and Lauren Perry ’15 in the 50 and 100 free.

Kaitlyn Sweeney ’12 also took first in the 200 fly. The meet ended with a victory in the 400 free relay by Marisa Taddeo ’13, Perry, Kaitlyn Utkewicz ’14 and Porcellio.

“It was a great way to end our dual meet season,” Pontecorvo said. “We left the seniors with a proud win and the entire team in a position to be excited about.”

“Times at this meet were not the main focus of our goals as we were tired and worn down from a hard week of training,” Sweeney said. “The fact that we raced well and met the challenge of winning the meet was a great way to end the season and hopefully a foretelling sign of our preparation for Patriots and ECACs.”

Overall, the women had victories in 11 of 16 events. The Bison finish their dual season 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Patriot League. The Orange and Blue travel to Annapolis, Md. this Saturday for the Navy Invitational.