Courtesy of BucknellBison.com.
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Joe Willman scored 18 points and matched his career high with 12 rebounds, and frontcourt-mate Mike Muscala had another big game with 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks, leading Bucknell to a 74-66 victory over La Salle in a battle of one-loss teams Saturday night at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison have now joined the 2005-06, 1956-57 and 1939-40 teams as the lone Bucknell squads in the last 84 years to start a season 9-1.
La Salle came in with a 6-1 record, including wins over Villanova and Penn State, but the Explorers saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Ramon Galloway scored 21 points and reigning Atlantic-10 Player of the Week Tyreek Duren had 14 for La Salle.
While the Bison received outstanding production from the frontcourt combo of Muscala and Willman, their guards held up well against intense full-court pressure from the Explorers. Ryan Hill had success driving to the basket and finished with seven points and six rebounds in 25 minutes before fouling out. Freshman reserve Ryan Frazier turned in a second straight outstanding performance, scoring all 11 of his points in the second half, including a key 3-point play that helped Bucknell stem some momentum after La Salle had trimmed a 15-point deficit down to three. Soon after, Frazier hit a 3-pointer and then a spectacular 4-point play that vaulted the lead back up to 14 with six minutes to play.
Cameron Ayers added nine points and Bryson Johnson seven, and Bucknell’s four primary ballhandlers – Hill, Frazier, Ayers and Johnson – combined for only four turnovers against the pressure defense. The Bison, who rank sixth nationally in fewest turnovers per game, had a total of nine against a La Salle team that came in forcing just under 14 miscues per contest.
“La Salle was the best team we have played so far, and that was a quality win against a quality team,” said coach Dave Paulsen, whose team suffered its most one-sided loss (78-52) of last season at La Salle. “They really put you in tough situations both offensively and defensively. We did a good job taking care of the basketball against extreme pressure. Ryan Frazier’s defense on Galloway down the stretch was huge. The fact that we had him on such an explosive scorer late in the game is a real compliment to him.”
Bucknell launched the game’s first major run about six minutes in, flipping an 8-6 deficit into a 20-8 lead after a 14-0 run. Muscala started the surge with a layup off a nice high-low feed from Brian Fitzpatrick. Ayers hit a baseline jumper and a 3-pointer, Dom Hoffman canned a 15-footer and Hill capped the run with a nice drive to the rim for a 3-point play.
Muscala brought the nice winter-break crowd of 3,402 to its feet with a sensational spin move and dunk in traffic to make it 30-18 with 4:14 left in the half. Johnson’s deep 3-pointer gave the Bison a 15-point lead at 35-20 just over a minute later.
Tyrone Garland, a Virginia Tech transfer playing in his first game for La Salle after becoming eligible, scored with less than a second left in the half to make it 41-29 at intermission. Bucknell shot 53.1 percent and committed only two turnovers in the first half.
Muscala opened the second-half scoring with a tip-in of his own miss, but the Explorers ripped off nine straight points, capped by a Galloway three, to pull within five at 43-38. Muscala hit an elbow jumper, then Willman took a charge and hit a short jumper of his own to push the Bison lead back to nine, but La Salle got as close as three at 47-44 after back-to-back drives by Galloway and Duren.
With Hill on the bench with three fouls, Frazier came in and helped turn the tide back in Bucknell’s favor. He slashed down the right side of the key, hung in the air to draw contact, and finished the layup and a 3-point play. His first trey of the night came after a Muscala kick-out pass and stretched a six-point lead back to nine with 9:32 left.
Inside eight minutes to play, Willman scored on back-to-back possessions to get the lead back to 10, and then Frazier inflicted the biggest blow of the night with a deep three from the left flank while getting steamrolled by Explorers 6-11 center Steve Zack. Frazier finished the 4-point play to cap a 16-6 run, and the Bison had a commanding 63-49 lead with 6:01 left. They led by at least seven the rest of the way.
La Salle, which lost a road game for the first time this season, committed only six turnovers but was held to 38.7 percent shooting from the field. The Explorers repeatedly tried to drive the ball to the basket, and they ended up with only three assists on 24 made field goals.
Muscala entered the game as one of only two players in Division I basketball averaging at least 18 points and 11 rebounds per game (Duke’s Mason Plumlee was the other), and Muscala had another strong night. His six assists were one shy of his career best, set earlier this season against Niagara. Muscala also moved past Kevin Bettencourt into fourth place on Bucknell’s career scoring list with 1,586 points.
Willman recorded his fourth career double-double and first of the season. It was his second straight double-figure rebounding effort, and he also passed the 900-point plateau for his career. The 18 points were one shy of his personal best of 19, set last season against Boston University and Lehigh.
Bucknell returns to action on Monday night at Saint Francis (Pa.). The Bison will be trying to go 10-1 for the first time since 1927-28.
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