Dec. 22, 2011
Box Score | Highlights
BOSTON - Despite shooting 50 percent and committing a season-low nine turnovers, the Boston University men's basketball team fell to Bucknell, 75-61, on Thursday night at Case Gymnasium. With five men scoring in double figures, the defending Patriot League champion Bison improve to 8-5, while the Terriers drop to 4-8 after facing their eighth opponent to be coming off a 2011 postseason bid.
Named America East Player of the Game, senior Darryl Partin led BU with two steals and 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while sophomore Travis Robinson was one shy of tying his personal high at 15 points. Starting for an injured D.J. Irving, senior Matt Griffin recorded seven points, five assists and four rebounds.
Reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Mike Muscala posted a double-double off a game-high 20 points and 11 rebounds. Joe Willman added 19 points, as the Bison shot 54.2 percent from the field. Cameron Ayers tallied 11 points and five assists, while Bryson Johnson and Brian Fitzpatrick contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench.
Trailing 17-16 with 11:34 remaining in the first half, Bucknell scored seven straight points to grab the lead for good. Partin's jumper at 8:01 brought BU within four (25-21), but the Bison responded with a 11-2 run capped by Johnson's 3-pointer over the following four minutes.
After sophomore Dom Morris' jumper moved BU within 11 (36-25) at 4:02, Bucknell went on a 10-2 spurt and never saw its lead fall below 14 the rest of the game. The Bison shot 64.3 percent from the field and out-rebounded BU, 18-5, in the first half to enter the locker room ahead, 46-29.
The Terriers shot 54.5 percent and only had three turnovers, but they did not have a single offensive rebound and only enticed Bucknell into one miscue.
BU cut the deficit to 14 on three separate occasions early in the second half, but each time Bucknell responded with a basket, including Ayers' 3-pointer at 15:54.
The Terriers finished the game 22-of-44 (.500) from the field and 6-of-13 (.462) behind the arc. BU though shot poorly at the charity stripe, going 11-of-20 (.550), while the Bison went 18-of-21 (.857). Bucknell also had success under the basket, recording a 34-17 advantage in rebounds.
After a week off, BU will next make its third trip of the month to Philadelphia and face La Salle on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 7 p.m.
