Discovering Bucknell: A Journey Through Academia and Adventure

• The Bucknell-Lehigh matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Matt Markus providing the commentary. 
• “Voice of the Bison” Doug Birdsong will deliver the local radio commentary on Eagle 107. 
• The audio stream is also accessible online at no cost through BucknellBison.com. 
• Real-time statistics are available at LehighSports.com.
• Stay updated with in-game coverage by following @Bucknell_MBB on Twitter. 

Previous Game Summary

• Josh Bascoe achieved a career-high by sinking six 3-pointers and posted a game-leading 22 points, yet the Bison could not recover from several critical offensive lapses and lost 75-63 at Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in front of 15,987 spectators at the JMA Wireless Dome. 
• Bascoe finished just one point shy of his career-best, and his six 3-pointers were the most by a Bison since Elvin Edmonds IV hit six against Lebanon Valley in the opener of the 2022-23 season. Noah Williamson contributed 12 points and eight rebounds, while Pip Ajayi and Ruot Bijiek each scored eight points. 
• Prominent center Eddie Lampkin, who guided Colorado to the NCAA Tournament last year, amassed 18 points and 11 rebounds for Syracuse (6-6). Donnie Freeman added 15 points and 11 boards as the Orange dominated Bucknell on the boards with a 43-27 rebound margin and a 14-9 advantage in second-chance points. 
• Both teams faced difficulties maintaining possession, with Syracuse committing 21 turnovers and the Bison 17. Bucknell’s 12 steals marked a season high. 
• Bucknell recorded a shooting percentage of 38.2% from the field, with a 3-point shooting record of 10-for-29 and a free throw percentage of 11-for-15. Syracuse achieved 47.4% shooting overall, converting 7-for-23 from beyond the arc and 14-for-23 from the stripe.

Bucknell vs. Lehigh Series Overview

• Bucknell has participated in more matchups (186) and secured more victories (112) against Lehigh than any other institution. The Bison lead the series 112-74 that dates back to 1902.
• From the commencement of Patriot League competition in 1990-91, Bucknell maintains a 52-28 edge, including an impressive 29-11 record at home.
• Lehigh was the opponent that ended Bucknell’s 35-game home winning streak against Patriot League rivals. The Bison hadn’t experienced a loss to a conference opponent at Sojka Pavilion for nearly five years until the Mountain Hawks triumphed 56-54 in Lewisburg on Jan. 30, 2008.
• Lehigh also claimed victory in the inaugural game held at Sojka Pavilion, winning 60-56 on Jan. 15, 2003. Including that matchup, Bucknell holds a 15-10 record against the Mountain Hawks at Sojka.
• Bucknell has a 7-3 record in Patriot League Tournament matchups against Lehigh, highlighted by an 81-65 win in the 2017 championship matchup.
• Last season, Bucknell and Lehigh shared two closely contested games, with each visiting team winning on the road. 
• In their previous encounter at Stabler Arena last season, Josh Bascoe scored 18 of his career-high 23 points in the first half, Jack Forrest accumulated 24 points, and Noah Williamson contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Bison to an 86-80 victory. Lehigh managed to trim a 19-point deficit to three points with 4:24 remaining, but Williamson’s six crucial points late sealed the win. Jalin Sinclair led the Mountain Hawks with 20 points, followed by Bube Momah with 19 and Burke Chebuhar and Tyler Whitney-Sidney each with 10.
• Lehigh took revenge with a 71-63 victory in overtime at Sojka Pavilion later that season. The Bison moved ahead 59-58 on a Forrest 3-pointer with 25.9 seconds left in regulation. The Mountain Hawks equalized with a Dominic Parolin free throw with 12.3 seconds remaining, and Forrest’s contested shot missed as time expired. Whitney-Sidney earned a 3-point play on the first possession of overtime, and Lehigh led throughout the extra period as the Bison struggled with 1-for-7 shooting. Elvin Edmonds IV reached career milestones with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but Bucknell played without Bascoe and Williamson, who had combined for 41 points in the earlier contest. Joshua Ingram topped Lehigh’s scoring with 22 points. 

Highlights & Statistics

• Bucknell demonstrated improved 3-point shooting against its “high major” adversaries this season. The Bison achieved a shooting percentage of 35.0% (41-117) from beyond the arc against Kentucky, Maryland, and Gonzaga, contrasting with 28.1% (61-217) in other games. 
• This season, Bucknell has shown considerable improvement in second-half performances. The Bison scored 101 more points in the second halves (473) than in the first halves (372). 
• The Bison currently lead the Patriot League in field-goal percentage defense, permitting opponents to shoot only 43.3% throughout the season. 
• Bucknell has engaged in four overtime games this season, which is the highest number in all of Division I basketball. Additionally, Bucknell’s six overtime periods, which include consecutive 2OT games against Mount St. Mary’s and Richmond, also lead the nation.
• Noah Williamson‘s performance against Richmond made him the first Bison player to block five shots in a game since Nana Foulland faced Loyola in 2018. 
• Williamson’s 85 attempts at the free-throw line rank as the 30th most in the country.
• The free-throw performance has been a mix of good and bad for Bucknell this season. On the bright side, the team frequently reaches the line, placing 91st out of 355 Division I teams in free-throw attempts per game with 21.6, and 74th in FT attempts per FG attempt (.381). This latter statistic has risen from .290 the previous season. Conversely, Bucknell has had significant difficulties at the foul line, holding a team FT% of .637, which ranks 339th nationally.
• Thus far, Williamson has proven to be a key player for the Bison. In the team’s four victories, he averages 22.8 points and 8.5 rebounds while maintaining a shooting percentage of 63.6% from the field. In contrast, during the eight setbacks, he averages 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and shoots 37.0%. 
• Bucknell is shooting 33.9% from beyond the arc while on the road, but only 28.7% at home this season. 

Patriot League Accomplishments

• Bucknell holds an all-time record of 326-172 (.655) in Patriot League regular-season contests, the top mark of any team in the league. Last year marked the 27th occasion in 34 seasons that the Bison concluded with a PL record of .500 or better.
• Bucknell secured three consecutive Patriot League regular-season titles from 2011-13, becoming the first team in league history to achieve this milestone. The Bison had previously claimed five titles in a row and eight of the last nine before finishing T-6th in 2019-20.
• Bucknell has made nine appearances in the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and seven times as the second seed.
• Bucknell triumphed in Patriot League Tournament championships in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The Bison have reached the semifinals 25 times and the championship game 13 times in the league’s initial 34 years. 
• The Bison remain the only team to achieve an unbeaten record in league play in a season (14-0 in 2006).

Coming Up Next

• Bucknell is set to return home on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. facing Colgate. This event will mark the 20th Annual Dirk Sojka’s Slam Dunk with Bison Basketball, featuring a silent auction and raffle draw, with proceeds directed to Suncom Industries. 
• Additionally, Bucknell will celebrate Alumni Day on Jan. 18 when Navy visits Sojka Pavilion, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the landmark 2005 NCAA Tournament victory over Kansas.