Category: Basketball

Scott Padula

Staff Writer

When you think of the men’s basketball team, the first players that come to mind are Mike Muscala ’13, Bryan Cohen ’12 and Bryson Johnson ’13. These three have always held key spots in the lineup. But one of the most unnoticed, yet integral, members of the Bison team this season has been Joe Willman ’13. This season, Willman has seen his minutes, points per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals all increase. At the same time, Willman has decreased his personal fouls and turnovers per game this season.

“Willman has been a key player since day one at Bucknell. He is a prototypical ‘4’ man who can score both inside and out,” head coach Dave Paulsen said. “He has become quite a weapon with his ability to knock down mid-range jumpers from anywhere on the court. Joe can score in every way, with dribble penetration inside and the 3-point line. In addition, he works well with classmate Mike Muscala when teamed together in the frontcourt.”

On the offensive end, Willman is a big, versatile player who knows how to use his body like a savvy veteran creating off the dribble from the wing. He moves well without the ball and utilizes screens to free himself. After the catch, Willman utilizes his great shot fake and quick first step to successfully drive to the hoop and assist others. Willman has increased his assists this season to 1.6 assists per game. What makes Willman a particularly valuable asset, though, is his size, length and range. Willman is 6’7” and has range out to 25-plus feet, allowing him to stretch the defense better than most. He can score in a variety of ways, hitting mid-range jumpers or going to the hoop with a quick dribble-drive. Willman’s points have increased to 10.8 per game while he has improved his efficiency, making 53.2 percent of his shots.

Willman is also a tough-minded defender. He plays with great energy on the defensive end and can cover guards or forwards. Willman’s length allows him to alter shots, make steals, and pull down rebounds. This season, Willman has seen his rebounds increase to 4.9 per game, while he has also recorded 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks.

“Willman is a ‘throwback’ type player who loves to compete. He is a very smart player who picked up the Bucknell system quickly. As a senior next season, I expect him to be a leader and tremendous asset to the team,” Paulsen said.

Eric Brod

Senior Writer

The game remains fresh in the minds of the Bison faithful: tied at 53, the Bison’s undefeated league record on the line, and Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum in possession with 14 seconds left on the clock. He dribbles, seconds lasting an eternity, with the stout defense of Cameron Ayers ’14 in his way. As the clock moves closer to zero, McCollum, as all great players do, makes a slight crossover move to gain separation and drains the game-winning three. Silence fell over the Sojka Psychos as the Mountain Hawks handed the Bison their first league loss of the season, 56-53, avenging their 68-61 loss to the Bison earlier. 

“Obviously it was a tough loss the last time we played Lehigh. Of course we would like to win this rematch, but every time we go out we are doing our best to win,” Bryson Johnson ’13 said.

Though nothing may motivate a team more than revenge, the Orange and Blue could not erase the memories of the bitter loss at the Patriot League Championship on Wednesday night, falling to the Mountain Hawks in heartbreaking fashion 82-77.

In recent years, the rivalry between the schools has grown greatly with the tremendous success of both programs. Over the past three seasons, Lehigh has earned two Patriot League titles (2012 and 2010), while the Bison earned the other last season. On top of this, the two programs currently showcase the league’s two best players in Mike Muscala ’13 and the Mountain Hawks’ C.J. McCollum, who have combined for three Patriot League Player of the Year awards in as many years.

“They won the League my freshman year, and we won it this past year, so it’s definitely something that’s turned into a rivalry,” Muscala said. “I don’t really think it was a rivalry before I came here, but it’s been fun and we always look forward to playing them.”

Aside from their individual studs, both teams also have tremendous supporting casts. For the Bison, Joe Willman ’13 has emerged this year as a dynamic front-court scorer to complement Muscala and developed one of the most reliable mid-range jumpers in the league. Bryan Cohen ’12, the three-time Patriot League defensive player of the year, is the defensive stopper who also has a reliable offensive game and a knack for providing timely baskets. Johnson provides instant offense on the bench and has been one of the most dynamic three-point threats for any team.

Then, as in any rivalry, a tremendous individual rivalry exists to make it all the more interesting. In this case, a running bout has evolved between McCollum and Cohen. McCollum has had to fight and earn every point against arguably the greatest on-ball defender in League history. While McCollum did hit the game-winner in the last game, Cohen has held McCollum in check throughout their head-to-head matchups, holding him to only 13.5 points per game, well below his season average of 21.7. 

However, in this year’s Championship contest, McCollum got the best of the Bison, recording 29 points to lead the Mountain Hawks to their second NCAA tournament berth in three years. Unlikely to earn better than a 15-seed, it will certainly be interesting to see how McCollum and the Mountain Hawks fare against one of the elite teams in the country. 

By Eric Brod

Senior Writer

After an eventful regular season, the Patriot League tournament kicked off this week with eight teams battling for the right to represent the Patriot League in the NCAA tournament. This year, the league features at least three teams with a legitimate shot of making the tournament in our very own Bison, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, and American Eagles.

With a win over Navy on Saturday, the Orange and Blue defended last season’s regular season championship and entered into the tournament as the clear favorite. After holding the longest conference winning-streak in the country before dropping back-to-back contests, the Bison concluded regular-season play with an impressive 12-2 Patriot League record.

While their late-season losses to Lehigh (at home) and Holy Cross (on the road) have removed the aura of invincibility from the Bison, they still posses the deepest team in the league and feature Mike Muscala ’13 (16.7 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game), and now-three-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Bryan Cohen ’12. Two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Dave Paulsen also has the benefit of one of the deepest benches in the league with Bryson Johnson ’13 providing immediate offense and Steven Kaspar ’15 providing stability off the bench at the point guard position.

Second-seed Lehigh poses a tough match for any opponent. The Mountain Hawks, led by league-leading scorer C.J. McCollum (21.7 ppg), have surged late in the season behind their star, including a thrilling 56-53 victory at Sojka Pavilion earlier this month. Besides McCollum, the Mountain Hawks also have solid players in Gabe Knutson (12.1 ppg) and Holden Greiner (10.3 ppg).

American also poses a legitimate threat to upset the Bison in this year’s league tournament despite slipping to third in the conference this year. The Eagles are paced by leading scorer Charles Hinkle (18.8 ppg) and have solid leadership at point guard in starter Daniel Munoz.

With a first-round trouncing of Navy on Wednesday night, the Bison inched a little bit closer to their ultimate goal of repeating as champions. On Saturday, the Orange and Blue will meet Lafayette in a rematch of last year’s title matchup. A victory will allow them to host another championship  game.

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

The men’s basketball team closed out its regular season with a pair of wins over American and Navy, claiming its second consecutive Patriot League regular season title. Mike Muscala ’13 led the Bison with a combined 45 points and 20 rebounds over the two games, recording his team-leading 14th double-double and 11th 20-point game of the year.

Coming off their first conference losses of the season, the Orange and Blue rebounded with a tight 55-50 win over American last Thursday. With the win, the Bison snapped American’s 11-game home winning streak and earned its third-straight season sweep over the Eagles.

After trailing the Eagles for almost the entire first half, the Bison claimed their first lead since early in the first half off a three-pointer from Bryson Johnson ’13 with 13:25 remaining in the second half. For the next seven minutes, the game underwent numerous lead changes until the Orange and Blue reeled off 11 consecutive points, extending their lead to 10 points with less than three minutes to play. Led by stout defensive play by Cohen down the stretch, the Orange and Blue were able to limit American to 12 points in the final nine minutes of play and come away with the five-point victory.

Two days later, the Bison squad secured home court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 64-55 win over the Midshipmen. Muscala led the Bison once again with 19 points and six rebounds on the day, going six for eight from the field and seven for seven from the foul line.

After leading by 11 at the half, the Bison managed to maintain a double-digit lead for most of the second half, allowing head coach Dave Paulsen to give reserve seniors Enoch Andoh ’12 and Probese Leo ’12 some much-deserved playing time.

The Orange and Blue earned their 200th all-time Patriot League regular season win, becoming the first team to do so in league history.

With the regular season under their belt, the Orange and Blue now set their sights on repeating as Patriot League champions and earning a second-consecutive NCAA berth.

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

After rolling off 10 consecutive victories in conference since early January, the men’s basketball team finally experienced defeat, losing back-to-back heartbreakers by one possession to the Lehigh Mountain Hawks and Holy Cross Crusaders. The two setbacks leave the Orange and Blue leading by just one game in the conference with two contests remaining.

“It was a frustrating way to lose,” said Mike Muscala ’13, the only Bison to score in double-figures in both games. “It will make us hungrier in the Patriot League Tournament.”

The Orange and Blue came out strong early in their match against Lehigh last Thursday, pushing ahead for a seven-point advantage just six minutes into the game. Unlike the rest of their Patriot League games up to that point, the Bison could not bury the Mountain Hawks after jumping out to a quick lead.

The nation’s seventh leading scorer, C.J. McCollum, who had been held to just four points in the first half by stingy defense played by Bryan Cohen ’12 and Cameron Ayers ’14, came alive in the second period, dropping 11 points to give Lehigh the boost it needed.

“I think we did a good job as a team defensively against him,” Cohen said. “The game plan was to try to keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible and make his teammates beat us. Overall, we did a solid job defensively as we were able to limit his shots.”

With the score tied in the waning seconds and the ball in his hands, though, McCollum would not be denied. After a difficult offensive series for the Bison on the previous possession, the Lehigh star drained a three-pointer with a half-second remaining to break the tie and give the Mountain Hawks a dramatic 56-53 victory.

Less than 48 hours after the emotionally draining loss against Lehigh, the Orange and Blue had to travel over six hours to play at Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon.

Their physical and mental exhaustion were evident throughout the first half. Muscala registered the first basket of the game for either side, but it was the Crusaders who would break the game wide open early with a 17-0 run. All efforts for the Bison offense proved futile in the opening 20 minutes, as the team missed 14 consecutive shots and did not score for a span of more than eight minutes.

“Holy Cross jumped on us early,” Cohen said. “Once that happened, they got into a good rhythm offensively, which allowed them to knock down several tough shots. We also were not able to keep them off the offensive glass as they were able to get a lot of second chance points.”

The Orange and Blue sprung to life, though, in the second half. After the Bison trailed by as much as 19, an impassioned comeback brought them within two of tying the game. But time ran out on the Orange and Blue, who fell 54-52 for their second straight Patriot League defeat for the first time in over two seasons.

“What changed was our defensive intensity and focus,” Ayers said. “We didn’t let our offense dictate our defense and we outscored them by 16 in the second half. If we didn’t start out sluggish, we would have had the game easily.”

The regular season title and number one spot in the Patriot League Tournament are still in the Orange and Blue’s grasp. A victory over American on Thursday night (after this paper went to press) would clinch both for the Bison.

“We came out hungry against Lehigh and Holy Cross but fell short,” Muscala said. “I think there are things we can take from both losses that we need to use in our games moving forward.”

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

In a season marked by dominance in the Patriot League, the Orange and Blue men’s basketball team took one more step towards clinching their second consecutive regular-season conference title with a commanding 90-78 victory over the Lafayette Leopards last Saturday night.

“Our offense was clicking against Lafayette, especially in the second half,” Mike Muscala ’13 said, who led the Bison in scoring with 24 points. “We can be proud of that but we could have played much better defensively.”

In the opening minutes, it was the Leopards who looked poised to seize control of the game. Lafayette scored on three of its first four possessions to take a 7-4 lead.

But the three-point advantage would be Lafayette’s largest of the game. The Bison scored the next 10 points and did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.

For a Bison squad known for its lockdown defense, a balanced offensive effort stole the spotlight against Lafayette. For the first time in over a decade, the Orange and Blue scored 90 points in a regulation game.

“It felt good to score 90 points against a good team like Lafayette,” Cameron Ayers ’14 said, who registered a hard-earned 11 points versus the Leopards. “I think everyone understands their roles now and we know what we want to accomplish as a team. Everyone is on the same page offensively and defensively and we have improved on both ends of the floor.”

The offensive outburst allowed a plethora of Bison to get involved. In addition to Muscala and Ayers, Bryan Cohen ’12, Bryson Johnson ’13 and Joe Willman ’13 each recorded double-digit points. Ryan Hill ’14 added five points, five rebounds and four assists of his own from the point guard position.

The win over Lafayette, combined with a loss by American that same day, leaves the Bison on the verge of securing the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the conference tournament coming up in two weeks.

The Bison lead by three games in the Patriot League standings and another victory in their match-up with Lehigh yesterday, after this paper went to press, would give the Orange and Blue the title. But taking down the Mountain Hawks is no easy task.

“I am looking forward to another challenge and to see how we have improved defensively,” Ayers said. “[Lehigh guard] C.J McCollum is a tough player and it’s going to take a team effort defensively, but I think we will get the job done. We have to win at home; that is very important to us.”

The Orange and Blue’s schedule after the Lehigh game does not play into their hands. Tomorrow, the Bison head to Worcester, Mass. to face a difficult opponent in Holy Cross, especially at home, just two days after playing Lehigh. The following Wednesday, the Bison travel to Washington, D.C. to play American, another one of the Patriot League’s top teams.

“It’s always fun to play at Holy Cross,” Muscala said. “Last year, it was a very close game, and I’m hoping this year we can pull out another win.”

By Greg Stevenson

Senior Writer

If you ever find yourself at Sojka Pavilion before a men’s basketball game, there is one thing you are guaranteed to see—guard Bryson Johnson ’13 crack one of his ear-to-ear grins.

“I have always had fun playing basketball and it has been something that I have enjoyed my whole life,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to be anything but happy when playing, to be honest. I am very fortunate to be able to play at a school like this and if I didn’t enjoy it, I think I would be taking my situation for granted. I don’t want that to be the case.”

By tip-off, though, his demeanor changes, and his game face, one that exudes focus, comes out. Behind that pre-game smile and mid-game concentration on details is one of the Patriot League’s deadliest shooters from outside.

During the Orange and Blue’s run to the NCAA tournament last season, Johnson was an integral member of the Bison starting five, on the floor to drain important three-pointers down the stretch of games. His teammates and coaches had a lot of trust in him, and the statistics back it up.

Johnson had the highest shooting percentage from outside the arc in the Patriot League during the 2010-2011 season by over five percent while also attempting the most shots. Starting all 34 of the Orange and Blue’s contests last year, Johnson finished second on the team in points per game with 11.7.

“I don’t know if there is anything that makes me good at this role other than just trying to do it as best I can and help our team win games,” Johnson said when asked about his role as the outside shooter for the Bison.

This season, though, has gone a little differently. Opponents have started to key in on him defensively, and the shooting lanes that were open last season have been completely clogged up this year. His scoring average has dipped below 10 points per game and he is not hitting three-pointers at quite the same efficiency as last season.

“This season, teams have been a little more prepared for me and have been doing a good job running me off the three-point line and trying to make me do other things,” Johnson said. “I just have to do a better job adjusting and the shots will go down.”

But Johnson has managed to shoot nearly 40 percent, good enough for 13th in the conference.

In last week’s victory over Holy Cross, Johnson knocked in a three-pointer as time ran out in the first half to give the Orange and Blue a double-digit lead. It was all the momentum the Bison needed, and they ended up running away from the Crusaders by a 34-point margin. Ten times this season, Johnson has scored in double-figures, including back-to-back 20 point games in the Legends Classic back in November.

Johnson, now in his third season, found the transition to college life to be smooth since his hometown, Pictou, Nova Scotia, had the same small-town feel as his home as Lewisburg. It was his teammates and the coaching staff, though, that really made him feel welcome and at home at the University.

“I came to Bucknell because I had a great relationship with the coaches while they were recruiting me,” Johnson said. “On my visit I really liked the players and the whole atmosphere of the school. I really like the small school feel of this place and really getting to know people on campus.  The small town feel also reminds me a lot of home which is good because I always miss being home when I’m away. And I love playing basketball here because of my teammates. We are a pretty close team and it’s always fun to play basketball with those you consider as family.”

Even though Johnson did not take the traditional route to the University, coming from a small town in Canada, this sharpshooter has hit his stride and found a role that suits him. With the team headed towards another Patriot League Championship and berth in the NCAA tournament, there’s plenty of reason for Johnson and the rest of the Bison to smile.