Author: cdm016

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The men’s basketball team continued its dominance in Patriot League play with a 66-51 victory at Navy on Saturday, improving its record to 17-6 overall and 7-0 in conference action. Mike Muscala ’13 scored 27 points on 11 for 15 shooting, tying his career high, to lead the Bison to their ninth straight victory.

“My teammates did a good job of finding me, whether it was on pick and pops or in the post,” Muscala said. “It was a good win for us, and moving forward we have to stay hungry and focus one game at a time.”

Despite a one-for-six start from the field, the Orange and Blue climbed back behind a 17-2 first half run that gave the Bison an 11 point lead 12 minutes into the first half.

Bryan Cohen ’12 was the second leading scorer for the Bison with 12 points, including a jumper that extended the lead to 18, the largest of the game, late in the first half. Defense was a priority for the Orange and Blue as guards Steven Kasper ’15 and Ryan Hill ’14 both had steals that were followed by baskets, contributing to the Bison’s 16-9 edge in points off turnovers. The Bison led 38-23 at halftime.

“Navy doubled down on Mike and it opened up opportunities for the guards to penetrate lanes and open shots on the perimeter,” Cohen said. “I was fortunate to knock down shots early in the game and that got me into a good rhythm.”

Navy began the second half with two quick baskets that trimmed the lead to 11, but it would not be able to cut the deficit to single digits, as the Bison continued their balanced shooting and tough defense. 

Field goal percentage would end up being the difference as the Bison shot 51.0% to Navy’s 36.4%. Forward Joe Willman ’13 crashed the boards throughout the game with a team-high nine rebounds, four of those on the offensive end. The Orange and Blue finished with 13 second-chance points. The Bison were also a perfect 10 for 10 from the free throw line.

With seven games left in the regular season, the Bison remain focused to acquire a second straight Patriot League championship. Their next game is a home contest against Army on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.The Orange and Blue defeated the Black Knights 75-59 Jan. 7 at West Point.

“I think we have done a good job all year just going out and playing game by game,” Johnson said. “This win was big for us because now we have a little lead going into the second half of league play and we have a full week of practice to refocus and prepare for our next set of games.”

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.”