Author: Andrew Arnao

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Basketball Men Sports

Basketball breezes by Army, Colgate

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian Ben Brackney '14 goes up for a layup in last week's game against Navy. This week, the Bison defeated two of their Patriot League rivals, Army and Colgate, to retain second place in the Patriot League standings.
Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Ben Brackney ’14 goes up for a layup in last week’s game against Navy. This week, the Bison defeated two of their Patriot League rivals, Army and Colgate, to retain second place in the Patriot League standings.

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

The Orange and Blue held off Colgate for a 69-61 victory on Feb. 13 after a 60-58 road victory against Army on Feb. 9. With the two wins, the Bison improved to 21-4 overall, and 8-1 in league play.

Mike Muscala ’13 lead the Bison against Colgate, recording his 18th double-double of the season, posting 27 points and 12 rebounds. Muscala’s 10th rebound of the night was the 1,000th of his collegiate career, making him the second player in program history to accomplish this feat.

The Bison jumped to an early 9-0 lead thanks to five quick points from guard Ryan Hill ’14. The Raiders then cut the lead to 20-18 in the first half. The Bison responded with a three-pointer by Bryson Johnson ’13, giving him three of his 12 points on the night. Muscala and Cameron Ayers ’14 made a pair of baskets to extend the lead to 34-22, and the Orange and Blue took a 34-23 lead at half.

Colgate started the second half cutting the Bison lead to 40-34. Joe Willman ’13 responded with a clutch jumper, but the Raiders eventually cut the lead down to 49-47. Muscala then scored 20 of his 27 points to help keep control of the game. Ayers helped put the game away, extending the lead to 62-54 with 3:58 to play.

Against Army, the Bison defense held the usually fast-paced Black Knight attack to 38.2 percent shooting and 12 points below their season average. The Orange and Blue were led by Ayers, who registered 19 points.

“The key for me was to be aggressive early and attack them from the start. My teammates did a good job of finding me and getting me open shots,” Ayers said. “I thought it was a total team effort to pull out a tough win like that on the road.”

Johnson also heavily contributed, scoring 17 points to break the Patriot League record for three-point baskets in a career. Johnson continued his sensational all-around play, tallying eight rebounds and six assists. Muscala came away with 12 points and 10 rebounds for his 17th double-double on the season.

“Army is always a tough team to play against, especially on their home floor. We knew it would be a battle heading into the game but Bryson and Cam[eron] hit some big shots in the second half that really helped us out,” Muscala said. “I thought we forced them to make tough shots for the most part, but also made some defensive errors that allowed them to get back in the game.”

The Orange and Blue took a 25-21 halftime lead into the locker room. The Bison opened up a 47-36 advantage with 8:46 left in the contest, until Army closed the gap to 49-45. Ayers responded with a three to extend lead back to seven at 52-45. With 2:16 remaining, the Orange and Blue had a 60-54 lead. Army pulled the score to 60-58 with 1:27 left. Both teams missed opportunities on the offensive end in the final minute, which ended with Ryan Frazier ’16 forcing a touch game-tying attempt by Army that hit back iron to secure the Bison victory.

“I thought we did a really good job of contesting their shooters and our guards did a great job of getting through ball screens,” Muscala said. “They got hot late in the second half but for the most part we played well defensively.”

“I think these tight games have definitely proved to us that we have to play all 40 minutes and play until the end,” Ayers said. “We are able to learn from these situations win or lose and grow from them for the future.”

The team returns to action Saturday when they travel to Easton, Pa. to take on league rival Lafayette. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Romine scores 1,000th carer point, Bison lose twice

Ajan Caneda

Copy Editor

Shelby Romine ’14 scored her 1,000th career point against Army on Feb. 9, but it would not be enough for the Bison to overcome an off shooting night, as they fell 44-35 in Sojka Pavilion. The Bison had a stronger offensive performance against Colgate but suffered a 58-51 loss to the Raiders on Feb. 13, dropping them to 13-11 overall (4-5 in conference play). Romine became the 20th member of the program’s 1,000 point club, a feat that was last accomplished during the 2008-2009 season.

“I feel honored. People look at the 1,000th point milestone as a personal achievement, but I couldn’t have gotten there without my teammates, coaches and parents who motivate me to put the work in. I’m extremely thankful because without them I could have never reached this goal,” Romine said.

During the game, both teams experienced offensive struggles, but the Orange and Blue came away with a 19-17 edge at the break. Romine scored 10 of her 16 points in the first half. Neither team got beyond a four-point advantage due to shooting woes from both squads.

“Now that we are in the second round of Patriot League play, I expect scores to be lower because everyone knows our strengths and weaknesses. We need to find ways past that,” Romine said.

In the second half, Felicia Mgbada ’13 scored a lay-up that gave the Bison a 22-19 lead. After Army regained the advantage, Rachel Voss ’13 and Katherine Harris ’15 made consecutive baskets to claim a two-point lead. Unfortunately, Army closed the game on a 20-9 run, including two key three-pointers and successful late game free throw shooting.

“I think offensively we were all a little off that game. That being said, however, we can’t allow ourselves to go through scoring lulls like we did and we are working on fixing that in practice. I also think Army executed their defensive plan very well which added to our scoring drought,” Audrey Dotson ’15 said. “On a positive note, the fact that we could hold Army to such a small number of points is a credit to our defense and hard work.”

Neither team had a strong shooting night, as the Bison shot 26.7 percent from the field (12-45), while Army made 26.2 percent (16-61) of its shot attempts.

Against Colgate, the Orange and Blue had double-digit performances by Alyssa Dunn ’13, Mgbada and Romine. The Bison relied on their free throw shooting early but missed free throw opportunities in the second half allowed the Raiders to pull ahead late and clinch their first conference win. Mgbada had 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, Dunn scored 14 points of her own and Romine continued her balanced play with 11 points and seven assists.

“In the next game, and in the games left in the season, we are really going to try and be more aggressive on offense even when our shots aren’t dropping as well as keeping up our defensive pressure,” Dotson said.

The Bison will face two conference rivals at home, as they battle Lafayette Saturday night and Lehigh on Feb. 20. Tip-off for both games is scheduled at 7 p.m. in Sojka Pavilion.

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Bison Athlete of the Week Sports

Bison Athlete of the Week: Paul Petrov ’16

The Bucknellian Archives
The Bucknellian Archives

 Andrew Arnao

Sports Editor

Paul Petrov ’16 has only been a member of the men’s wrestling team for a short time, yet the 133-pounder has made a positive impact on his way to a breakout season. He has an overall record of 16-10, but has been on a tear recently, going 7-2 in his last nine matches.

Petrov first opened eyes when he started off his collegiate career with three straight wins, including a 14-1 major decision and a 18-8 major decision. Petrov would later increase this hot streak to an 8-2 record, before hitting a rough patch in December with four straight losses to close out the year.

Looking to start 2013 on a positive note, Petrov recorded an 18-3 technical fall over Michigan State’s Christian Olanowski. After losing two more bouts, Petrov began his current 7-2 win streak, which included his first collegiate pin against Columbia’s Andrew  Grabfelder. Petrov also recorded three major decisions during this span.

With an injury to 125-pound wrestler Austin Miller ’15, Petrov will be depended upon for the remainder of the season to give the Bison a strong start to their matches. Look to see if Petrov is up to the challenge Friday and Saturday as the men’s wrestling team faces Clarion and American in two matches on the road.

Hometown: Cedar Lake, Ind.

Major: Undeclared

Weight Class: 125/133

Overall record: 16-10

Dual record: 9-8

Tournament record: 7-2

Biggest decision: Pin (4:08) against Columbia

Categories
Beyond the Bison Sports

Beyond the Bison: Sports News Across the Nation

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons LeBron James (pictured above) and Kevin Durant have established themselves as the two best players in the NBA for years to come.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
LeBron James (pictured above) and Kevin Durant have established themselves as the two best players in the NBA for years to come.

Julian Dorey

Writer

“That all there is to it?”

If you don’t stop and take a look, you just might miss it. American basketball fans are spoiled, and I’m not sure they realize it. Right now, two players are playing the game on a level that begs the question as to whether or not they are, indeed, human.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant seem destined to battle each other for supremacy for years to come. After facing off against each other in the NBA Finals last year, the older James came away with his first title, while the young buck Durant realized just how far his greatness could take him, and how close he already was to living a championship dream.

Common sense would say that with the incredible athletes that exist across the NBA, James and Durant would continue to be the best players among many great ones. In fact, they have been even better. James has followed up his first championship and what was his third MVP campaign with perhaps his best season of all. With career stats of 27.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 6.9 APG, James’s current averages of 27.0 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 6.9 APG certainly do not jump off the page at you. But the ways in which he has single-handedly taken over games and completely carried his team at times have put me and many others at a loss for words.

And from an efficiency stand point? Well, for someone who generally plays from the wing as a point-forward, James’s 56.2 field goal percentage is absolutely insane. By comparison, Shaquille O’Neal had a 58.2 field goal percentage for his career, and most of his shots were within two feet of the basket.

James is doing it all and making it easy. His combination of incredible size, power and speed makes his post moves too strong for a small forward to defend and too fast for a center. He might only have one ring right now, but he’ll get more as his legend continues to rise.

James’s play makes it easy to ignore Durant’s greatness in Oklahoma City. Despite the Thunder trading one of their “Big Three” in James Harden before the season, Durant and co-star Russell Westbrook haven’t allowed the team to miss a beat.

Durant’s height (6 feet, 9 inches) and length (7-foot-5 wingspan) qualify him to be a power forward in today’s NBA. But, as skinny as he is and always has been, Durant has molded his game in a very different light. He’s deceptively fast and, at age 24, he’s already the purest scorer in the game. He can drain a 30-footer on demand or he can cross you over and fly through the lane. His defensive skills have improved drastically each season and his basketball IQ is amazing.

In a recent study done by grantland.com on Durant’s season-by-season shot sheet, they found that Durant had improved his field goal percentages at every single spot on the court since entering the league. In some areas, like inside the paint and outside the arc, his percentages have increased by 10-20 percent. The kid is simply incredible.

James is going to keep adding to his mounting legacy. Durant is only going to keep getting better. Kobe Bryant is still averaging 27.4 PPG and yet somehow isn’t even considered to be one of the two best current players in the game, which should tell you all you need to know about these two superstars.

First there was Wilt and Russell. Then there was Magic and Bird. Then there was Jordan.  Now, there’s a man named James and slick kid named Durant. Buckle up and enjoy it.

Categories
Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lacrosse opens with win

Reed Dempsey

Contributing Writer

The No. 18 Bison men’s lacrosse team traveled south to Newark, Del. on Feb. 9 for its season opener against the University of Delaware Blue Hens. Three goals by Todd Heritage ’14 in front of an 11-save performance from veteran goalie Kyle Feeney ’13 helped the Bison tally their first win of the year.

The high-powered Bison offense came out firing, as Chase Bailey ’13 put the team up 1-0 just 39 seconds into the contest. Over the next 16 minutes, the Bison offense recorded four more goals, featuring career firsts for Brock Ghelfi ’16 and Sean Doyle ’16, as the defense kept the Blue Hens off the scoreboard with five straight saves by Feeney.

Delaware began to find its groove in the middle of the second quarter, hitting the back of the net three times over a six minute stretch to bring the Bison lead down to two.

With 2:26 remaining in the first half, Thomas Flibotte ’16 took the ball from the wing, beat his defender and scored top-right for the first goal of his career.

Delaware opened the second half with three straight goals to tie the game at six, but it was short-lived as the Bison took advantage of a man-up opportunity to regain their lead when Peter Burke ’14 fed Heritage for his third goal of the match. The Blue Hens fired back with another two goals to start the fourth quarter and take their first lead of the game.

Although the Bison were trailing for the first time, the team never doubted itself.

“Many others on the team, including myself, did not ever have the thought of a loss cross our minds,” Heritage said. “We knew we had to keep doing exactly what we had been doing the whole game and work for longer possessions to let our defense have energy.”

Just two minutes later, David Dickson ’15 (three assists) found Ghelfi to tie the game up at eight. Following three minutes of back and forth play, the Orange and Blue worked the ball around on offense for nearly a minute before Flibotte dodged his defender and found himself open for a shot, beating the Delaware goalie lower-left off a bounce.

Over the final three minutes, Feeney’s defense completely locked down the Blue Hens, including a save by the veteran goaltender with 22 seconds remaining.

“I think this is the best the D has looked after game one in my four years here,” Feeney said.

The Bison will travel to Maryland to face Mount St. Mary’s for their second game of the season on Feb. 17.

Categories
Men Sports Tennis

Men’s tennis falls twice on the road

 Emily Evancho

Contributing Writer

The men’s tennis team had a rough weekend in Pittsburgh as it was defeated by both Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne. Despite the losses, Nick Bybel ’16 and Josh Katten ’13 led the Bison with strong performances in the matches.

The match against Carnegie Mellon was a close one that nearly belonged to the Orange and Blue. Two of the three Bison doubles teams championed in their matches with a 9-8 victory from the team of Bybel and Katten and an 8-6 win from Kelly Morque ’13 and Evan Zimmer ’13. The Bison stumbled in the singles matches but still gave successful performances, most notably Bybel’s dual 6-1 victory. Kyle Rosen ’14, Octavio Canibe ’15 and Scott Bernstein ’14 also triumphed in their matches, bringing the final score to a 5-4 loss.

“Our match against Carnegie Mellon was very tight and came down to needing a few more singles wins,” Bernstein said. “Nick Bybel showed great energy and fight in snapping up two victories.”

In the Bison’s second match against Duquesne on Feb. 9, it was Katten who led the herd with straight set victories in his singles match. Katten and the team’s efforts were not enough to seal a win for the match. The Orange and Blue returned home with a 6-1 loss.

“Early spring tournaments are great to let you know as a team what you need to work on. We found some things that need tweaking and we will continue to work and improve. Day by day, we get better,” Aidan Lynch ’14 said.

The Bison will look for signs of  improvement when they challenge Niagara and St. Bonaventure in Olean, N.Y. this weekend.

Categories
Sports Tennis Women

Women’s tennis suffers first losses of season to Pittsburgh and Duquesne

Katherine Harris

Senior Writer

The women’s tennis team had a tough weekend on the road, battling against Pittsburgh on Feb. 8 to an eventual 6-1 loss, followed by another tough 6-1 defeat to Duquesne the next day.

The Bison picked up their first loss of the season when they traveled to the Alpha Tennis and Fitness Club to compete against a tough Pittsburgh squad. Maria Cioffi ’16 led the Bison on the day, defeating her No. 2 singles opponent 6-3, 6-2. Cioffi also boosted the Bison’s score with a doubles victory, partnering with Elena Vidrascu ’14 to score an 8-3 victory in the No. 1 match. Unfortunately, these were the only highlights of the day for the Bison, who ultimately fell in a 6-1 loss.

The Orange and Blue also had trouble against Duquesne. Lydia Colvin ’15 notched the only victory for the Bison on the day, defeating her opponent in the No. 3 singles match 6-7, 6-4, 10-7 at the end of the day. Once again, the Bison were not able to build on the victory, ending with a 6-1 score for the match.

“In my opinion, the scores didn’t reflect the quality of the matches and the fight that each one of us was willing to give,” Colvin said. “We definitely made a conscious effort to support each other immensely on the court, cheering for others even when we were down. [We] need to continue to work hard in practice to reflect that effort in future matches. We’re excited for this weekend of new opportunity.”

The Bison will now prepare for their next matches this weekend, facing Niagara and St. Bonaventure in New York.

Categories
Men Sports Track & Field

Men’s track ends regular season on high note, wins five events

Thomas Walter

Staff Writer

The men’s track and field team ended its regular season with a successful weekend of five event victories as it hosted the Bucknell Winter Classic, its final meet before the Patriot League Championships this weekend.

Leonard Joseph ’13 placed first in the weight throw with a 63-8.25 toss, successfully defending his title from last year. Kevin Keller ’15 won the long jump with a distance of 23-2.25, while Alex Prieto ’14 was victorious in the triple jump with a 47-5.75. Patryk Najbar ’14 also placed first with a time of 7.00 seconds in the 60-meter dash.

Nathaniel Witter ’14 rounded out the individual victors after clearing 15-3 in pole-vaulting, resulting in his second straight win at this event.

“My win this week gave me confidence in my consistency … but for me to achieve what I want at the Patriot League meet, I will need to jump higher than what I won with this past weekend,” Witter said. “I do know that it is obtainable, though, and with the energy level that this weekend will bring, anything is possible.”

Witter also knows that the team has a long way to go before it can be satisfied. But, its performance from this past weekend gives the team more confidence heading into this coming weekend.

“I think that everyone on the team is excited to see what we can do,” Witter said. “There has been some fall backs due to sickness but many people are stepping up.”

The Bison will make a run to defend their Patriot League title this weekend in West Point, N.Y.

Categories
Sports Track & Field Women

Women’s track and field grab four gold medals at Winter Classic

 

Edward Louie | The Bucknellian Nora Adams '16, Morgan Roche '15 and Emily Wakmunski '14 take off in the women's 4x400 m relay at the Bucknell Winter Classic. The Bison won four gold medals, three of them by first years.
Edward Louie | The Bucknellian
Nora Adams ’16, Morgan Roche ’15 and Emily Wakmunski ’14 take off in the women’s 4×400 m relay at the Bucknell Winter Classic. The Bison won four gold medals, three of them by first years.

Lauren Boone

Writer

The Orange and Blue claimed four gold medals at the Bucknell Winter Classic, the last regular season meet before the Patriot League Championships. Abby Monaghan ’13 defended her weight throw title from last year, while three first-years claimed new titles.

The Bison tasted a portion of their success in the field events. Monaghan won the weight throw event, posting a mark of 51-3. She broke the 50-foot barrier for the first time in the past three competitions.

In the pole vault, Emily Ando ’14 cleared 11-3.75, tying for first place. In the shot put event, Sophia Nnadi ’16 claimed victory with a mark of 43-10. This was the first time that Nnadi broke the 40-foot mark. This was also Nnadi’s first collegiate victory.

The Orange and Blue were also victorious in the sprints. Jess Bridle ’16 took first place in the 200-meter race with a time of 26.05, while Chrissy Haney ’16 claimed victory in 1:18.74 in the 500-meter race. In the 60-meter event, Kim Nagotko ’15 took third with 7.88. In the preliminary round, Nagotko recorded a new personal best time at 7.80.

“This weekend was great for individuals, including myself, and for the team as a whole. I believe this was a high intensity meet because it was the last indoor meet for the seniors. Not only were the seniors high in spirits and putting all of their effort in their last throws, but all individuals were trying to accomplish their goals before the league meet. I definitely exceeded my goals and I’m super happy about that,” Nnadi said. “I look forward to competing in my first league meet this weekend and to finish my indoor season with the team.”

The Bison will be back in competition this weekend at the Patriot League Championships. They will defend their title on Army’s turf in West Point, N.Y. from Feb. 15–17.

Categories
Men Sports Wrestling

Wrestling drops two matches

Billy Tyler

Assistant Sports Editor

The men’s wrestling team had a busy weekend, with a home meet against Lock Haven followed by a match-up at No. 10 Cornell on Feb. 10. Unfortunately for the Bison, neither match resulted in a victory for the team, and the Orange and the Blue saw their record fall to 6-11 on the year.

The match against Lock Haven was a closely fought contest that was not decided until the final bout. Entering the deciding round, the Bison trailed by just one point, 17-16, meaning that the winner of the final bout would take the match for their team. In this bout, Joe Stolfi ’15 saw his eight-match win streak end as he was pinned by his opponent in 5:57, resulting in the 23-16 loss.

The match was far closer than the final score indicated. The Bison won five of the nine contested bouts in the match. Lock Haven stayed in the match due to wins in three bouts (125, 184 and 285) which garnered them 17 points. Lock Haven benefited greatly from the forfeit in the 125 bout, as the Bison’s usual wrestler in this class, Austin Miller ’15, is out for the rest of the season with an arm injury. 

Several members of the Bison, meanwhile, put on solid performances in their matches to counterbalance Lock Haven’s weighted lead. These winners for the Orange and the Blue include Paul Petrov ’16 with a 13-3 major decision, Adam Healey ’13 with a 3-1 decision, No. 17 Corey Lear ’13 with a 2-0 decision, Robert Schlitt ’16 with a 6-5 decision and Tyler Lyster ’15 with a 7-2 decision.

The wrestling team attempted to bounce back from their loss with a win at Cornell. Things did not go according to plan for the Bison, as they fell 37-3 to the Big Red.

Stolfi redeemed his earlier loss by getting the only win for the Bison in a 9-2 decision. This win was Stolfi’s ninth win in his last 10 matches. Another match of note was the 165-pound match, which featured two ranked opponents. Lear for the Bison was pinned by No. 1 Kyle Dake in 53 seconds. Dake, a three-time NCAA champion, has won 65 consecutive bouts. His last loss was in the 2011 EIWA title bout to former Bison wrestler Kevin LeValley ’11.

The men’s wrestling team returns to action Friday at Clarion and Saturday at American.