<img width="18" height="10" src="/images/video.gif">Deron Williams hits 11 3-pointers

There's hot, there's a sidewalk in Texas in the summer, there's the of surface of the sun and then there's Deron Williams' hand Friday in the first half.

In the first half, Williams set an NBA record with nine 3-pointers, seven of them coming in the first quarter. Seven!

(Is there anything better than when a player is feeling it and he's got the ball crossing halfcourt and you just know he's about to crank one from deep? I love that.)

He finished the game 11-16 from 3 for 42 points, one off the NBA record for most in a games held by Donyell Marshall and Kobe Bryant.

Williams was going for it too. With his team up 16 with 1:52 left, he splashed his 11th 3. And with his team up 17 with 1:07 left, he launched his 16th 3 of the game. Mark Jackson would've hired a hitman to take a bat to his knees before his got that one off.

And as you might expect, his Nets cruised over the Wizards 95-78.

Video via The Brooklyn Game

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<img width="18" height="10" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/video.gif" border="0"> Winning dunk

After the game, the Black Mamba would say that he felt horrible about his 8 turnovers, showing a total disregard for taking care of the ball. But despite those issues, Bryant was brilliant, nailing huge shot after huge shot and taking over while still being efficient. He hit a stop-pumpfake-and-launch three to send the game to overtime (thanks to Amir Johnson not fouling), then nailed this to win the game.

A phenomenal season for Bryant continues and the Lakers find themselves only a half game back of the 8th seed. The Lakers are coming.

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Heat pull away late against 76ers, streak hits 17

MIAMI -- So many streaks. And the Miami Heat made sure they all survived.

LeBron James scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 22 points and the Heat pulled away late to beat Philadelphia 102-93 on Friday night -- their 12th straight regular-season win over Philadelphia, their 13th in a row at home and most importantly, their 17th straight victory overall.

For good measure, it all came on a night where James got to take the final 8 minutes off, a bit of unplanned rest that started with the outcome not exactly decided, either.

"We got better tonight," James said. "And that's the most important thing."

Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Ray Allen added 12 and Shane Battier scored 11 for the Heat, who matched the 12th-longest winning streak in NBA history and became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot this season.

James went to the bench with 8:02 left and with the Heat only leading by eight. Philadelphia never got any closer than that from there, and James wound up logging his 11th-shortest night of the season in terms of minutes, playing just over 34 on Friday.

"Good team win, particularly in the second half," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Our bench was really dialed in."

Thaddeus Young scored 25 points, Dorell Wright added 14 and Spencer Hawes finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who lost their 12th straight on the road. Jrue Holiday added a game-high 13 assists for Philadelphia.

The 76ers got outscored 48-31 in the final 19 minutes.

"I've very proud of them," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "Our guys fought tonight. They did a tremendous job and it's just that Miami is a great, great team and that's what happens with great teams. They ratchet it up on you and squeeze you for about five or six minutes and then they take the game. That's what championships have always done, so I couldn't ask any more of our guys. I thought they did everything they could do."

Down by nine in the third quarter, the Heat took a 76-75 lead when James beat the buzzer to end the period with a 3-pointer, then took control with what became a 17-4 run over a 5-minute stretch of the fourth.

"Anytime you can hit a big shot like that at the end of the quarter, it definitely is a momentum-shifter," Young said. "And I think that's what got them going and they came out and just jumped out on us on the fourth."

Philadelphia gave the Heat all they wanted for the first three quarters, taking a quick 18-11 lead, then making its first five attempts from 3-point range in the second quarter, and finally going on a spurt in the third that had Miami facing a 60-51 deficit at one point.

Much as they did in the first 16 of these wins, the Heat - who host Indiana in a playoff rematch on Sunday - found a way.

Miami had 10 assists on 12 field goals in the third quarter and took a second-half lead for the first time on a brilliant move by Bosh - who spun to his right, got fouled by Hawes and scored with his left hand anyway, all while being off-balance. His free throw put the Heat up 65-64.

Wright, whose career started in Miami, hit a 3-pointer to put Philadelphia back up 71-67, before the Heat closed the third with a trio of 3-pointers from Mario Chalmers, Battier and then James, whose buzzer-beater came seconds after he was hit in the throat area by Philadelphia's Damien Wilkins.

James shook off the hit, made the 3, then took a brief look at the Philadelphia bench for emphasis.

He was fired up, and the mood permeated everyone on the Miami side in the fourth, when the Heat pulled away.

"With the atmosphere here in Miami and with what we had on the line with the streak that everybody outside is probably tired of hearing about, we knew they were going to play very well," Wade said. "We were able to work the game, work the game, until we were able to pull away."

Miami had some big moments in the early going, including one possession where James had three offensive rebounds - two off his own misses - before scoring, and another when Chris Andersen blocked shots by Evan Turner in succession to set up a possession where James got an alley-oop dunk.

But Philadelphia didn't go away, fueled by the second-quarter 3-point barrage, and nine points by Wright in just 4:28 of the third quarter.

The fourth, however, was all Miami, even with James on the bench for the final minutes.

Notes

Miami clinched a playoff spot with 22 games remaining, five games faster than any other team in Heat history. It was the 450th Heat home game, including playoffs, since Wade was drafted in 2003. Miami has won 315 of those games, exactly 70 percent. Hawes was 4 for 5 in the first half, then 0 for 5 in the third quarter. The 76ers won three road games in a four-day span of November. They're 3-21 away from home since. It was Miami's 105th straight home sellout, the franchise's second-longest streak. Wade has at least one steal in 21 straight games, matching the longest such streak of his career. James became the 70th NBA player with 1,000 3-pointers made, according to STATS.

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Kobe clutch as Lakers strike down Raptors in overtime

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant's steely determination never wavers. It's his 34-year-old body he sometimes wonders about.

He skipped pre-game shootaround because his shoulders were tight, and he was feeling weary in overtime.

But Bryant found enough energy to hit the tying 3-pointer with 5 seconds to play in regulation, then dunked for the go-ahead basket with 10 seconds left in the extra session, helping the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 118-116 on Friday night for their second straight come-from-behind win.

They rallied from 25 points down to beat New Orleans on the road two nights earlier, when Bryant had 42 points and 12 assists. This time, he finished with 41 points and 12 assists, and made 14 of 16 free throws.

"It's like, `Damn, are you kidding again?"' Bryant said. "Do we collectively have the energy to do this again, and we did."

Against the Raptors, the Lakers rallied from a 15-point deficit in regulation and a slow start in overtime to close within a half-game of Utah for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth. They also moved a game above .500.

"It feels good to be back within striking distance," Bryant said. "We're just hell-bent on trying to win games."

Dwight Howard had 24 points and 13 rebounds while going 6 of 13 from the free-throw line as he and Bryant complimented each other well for the second game in a row.

"We know what we're trying to accomplish as a team and we just stuck together," Howard said. "Kobe hit some tough shots and then we got some good stops at the end."

DeMar DeRozan led six Toronto players in double figures with 28 points. Rudy Gay and Alan Anderson added 17 points each, and Kyle Lowry had 15 points and 10 assists. Starter Andrea Bargnani left the game with a strained right elbow in the first quarter.

"Our guys are fighting, scratching their behinds off," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "Now we have to understand the intensity, the speed of the game, how much you have to put thought into the game and execution at the same time as you are playing hard."

The Lakers won their fifth in a row at home and 10th straight at Staples Center against Toronto, which was seeking its first-ever season sweep after winning 108-103 on Jan. 20.

The Lakers found themselves playing catch-up nearly the entire game.

Under defensive pressure in overtime, Bryant passed off to his teammates, but they repeatedly missed. Steve Nash finally hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 115 with 45 seconds left. Then, Bryant's running dunk gave the Lakers their second lead of overtime.

"He's a clutch shooter, you can't just leave him open," Bryant said. "He made them pay."

Howard fouled Alan Anderson, who made the first free throw and deliberately missed the second. But Aaron Gray fouled going for the ball, giving the Lakers possession. Nash got fouled and missed the first but made the second for a 118-116 lead.

Gay's jumper missed as time expired, the same thing that happened to him when he took the last shot of regulation. He shot 7 for 26.

"They didn't go in, so I guess not," he said about the looks he was getting. "I don't like to miss."

Bryant and Howard combined to score 12 straight points in the fourth and Nash hit a 3-pointer as the Lakers trailed 103-99, the third time they closed within four points. Bryant's 3-pointer beat the shot clock and got the Lakers to 105-103.

Anderson hit a jumper for the Raptors, who led 107-103. Bryant missed a 3-pointer, but after a timeout, he caught the inbounds pass from Nash and hit a 3-pointer that drew the Lakers within a point with 29 seconds to go.

Howard fouled Lowry, who made both for a 109-106 lead with 8 seconds left. After another timeout, Bryant caught the inbounds from Steve Blake and fought through traffic to make the tying 3-pointer at 109-all.

"We're just not going to give in," said Bryant, who had nine of his team's 13 turnovers. "I'm a perfectionist. ... The turnovers I had were just tired turnovers."

Bryant had the Lakers in rally mode in the third when they trailed by 13. He keyed a 13-5 run with eight straight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to get to 83-78. But then Bryant had two straight turnovers, and Antawn Jamison and Bryant missed 3-pointers to close the quarter trailing 89-79.

Howard and Bryant combined to score 17 of the Lakers' 28 points in the second quarter, when they rallied from 15 points down to trail 59-53 at the break. Bryant only played the final five minutes of the period, scoring five points in that time.

The Raptors shot 74 percent in the first quarter, outscoring Los Angeles 37-25. Toronto lost Bargnani with a strained right elbow after he scored two points in nine minutes.

Notes

The Raptors play 18 of their final 20 games against Eastern opponents. Toronto concluded its four-game trip with a 1-3 mark, having changed time zones four times. The Raptors haven't won at Staples since Nov. 13, 2009, when they beat the Clippers. They fell to 9-23 on the road.

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Lillard goes for 35 as Blazers rock Spurs by 30

SAN ANTONIO -- The Portland Trail Blazers handed the San Antonio Spurs their worst loss in the Tim Duncan era, winning by such a large margin that it stunned them almost as much as the Western Conference's top team.

Damian Lillard had 35 points and nine assists and Portland routed San Antonio 136-106 on Friday night to set a record for the most points by an opponent at the AT&T Center and hand the Spurs their second-worst home loss ever.

"To come in here and win is hard enough," Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "To do it in that fashion is pretty remarkable."

LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 points and J.J. Hickson had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Portland. Eric Maynor added 20 points off the bench and Wesley Matthews had 15 points.

Tim Duncan had 18 points to lead the Spurs, who were playing their third straight game without Tony Parker. The Spurs' All-Star point guard is expected to miss four weeks with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain.

"Of course," Lillard said when asked if it would have been different with Parker in the lineup. "He's one of their best players. It would have been a completely different game. I might be more tired from chasing him around. But that doesn't really matter, `cause he didn't play."

Perhaps it may not have been too different.

Lillard had 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in Portland's 98-90 win over Parker and the Spurs on Dec. 13 and he followed it with a similar performance Friday.

Lillard was 12 for 20 from the field and 3 for 4 on 3s while handing out six assists with no turnovers in 40 minutes.

"He was pretty special," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He just bid his time in the first half. Aldridge was playing so well [in the first half]. In the second half, Lillard just took over and we just couldn't stop him."

The inability to stop Lillard led to the second worst home loss in San Antonio's history, trailing only the 33-point defeat to the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 19, 1997, at the Alamodome in Popovich's first season as head coach. The Spurs lost David Robinson to injury earlier that season, but would be awarded the top overall pick that offseason and selected Duncan.

Duncan was on hand for this loss however, and not even an energized performance by the All-Star forward could slow the Trail Blazers.

"It was a combination of us playing bad and them playing well," Duncan said. "Obviously, we'll try and learn from it. There will be a bunch of film session involved with this one."

What they will see is Portland continually beating to the basket and getting shots off before defenders could close. San Antonio had difficulty keeping pace with Portland's athleticism in losing for only the fourth time in 29 home games this season.

The Trail Blazers were 13 for 21 on 3-pointers and also shot 61 percent overall from the field to upend the Spurs, who entered the game with the league's best record but dropped behind Miami (46-14), which beat Philadelphia 102-93 on Friday night.

"They had a great night shooting," Popovich said. "That's a bad combination if they're doing that and we're playing poor defense. I can't remember a night where we played that poorly and, at the same time, the other team shot the heck out of it. That's going to make it tough."

Hickson and Aldridge dominated early, combining for 33 points and seven rebounds in the first half. Lillard scored 25 points in the second half as Portland outscored San Antonio 46-24 in the final quarter.

"J.J. [Hickson] and L.A. [Aldridge] carried us in the first half," Stotts said. "Damien had a solid game. When we went small and spaced the floor it gave him a lot of opportunities."

San Antonio closed within 107-95 on a 6-0 run, but Lillard ended the streak with a 3 that led Maynor to shout "Man down!" as he waited to enter the game. Lillard's 3 sparked a 14-4 run that included three 3s and three free throws by Portland's rookie point guard after he was fouled attempting a 3.

Lillard was 2 for 2 on 3s in the fourth and 4 for 6 from the field overall.

"It's like a confidence," Lillard said. "You feel like everything is fine. When I was scoring and making plays, I felt like we were going to be fine. If we needed a bucket, I was going to be able to get a bucket. If we needed a play to be made, I was going to be able to do it."

Hickson scored 19 points in the first half, going 8 for 11 on a mix jumpers and layups against several Spurs defenders.

Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard added 16 apiece for San Antonio and Cory Joseph had 13 and Danny Green 10. San Antonio shot 52 percent from the field, but were only 6 for 19 from 3s.

Leonard and Joseph got the Spurs off to a speedy start, scoring nine and six points respectively in the opening quarter. Duncan had 12 points and five rebounds in the first half as the Spurs tied the game at 57-all at the half.

Duncan's points included stripping Aldridge of a defensive rebound, beating two players to the loose ball and driving to the basket for a one-handed dunk that gave the Spurs a 29-27 lead with 6.0 seconds left in the first quarter.

Notes

Portland C Meyers Leonard left the game early in the second quarter when he injured his right ankle after stepping on Duncan's foot. His status is unknown. Trail Blazers W Sasha Pavlovic (quadriceps) and G Elliot Williams both missed the game with injuries. San Antonio is 11-23 this season when trailing after the third quarter. With his 26 points, Aldridge became the only player in the league with 1,200 points and 500 rebounds this season. San Antonio celebrated military appreciation night, honoring all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces with video tributes. Gregg Popovich gave the introductory tribute, followed by similar messages from Danny Green and Stephen Jackson. Members of the Wounded Warriors sat at courtside.

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Nets' Williams hits 11 3s in easy win over Wizards

NEW YORK -- Deron Williams already had five 3-pointers in less than five minutes when he pulled up in transition well behind the line, just to see how hot he really was.

"Yeah, it was a heat check," Williams said. "I think I should have shot another one after that, too."

That probably would have fallen as well.

Williams made an NBA-record nine 3-pointers in the first half, finished with 11 and scored a season-high 42 points to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 95-78 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Williams made his first eight shots behind the arc, became the first player in a decade to match the opposing team's score in the first half, and was one shy of the NBA record of 12 3-pointers as the Nets opened a huge early lead and coasted.

He missed from straightaway with 1:08 left in the game, leaving him one shy of the record shared by Kobe Bryant and Donyell Marshall.

"It kind of reminded me of my days when I first got in the league when I played with Ray Allen," said Nets forward Reggie Evans, referring to the NBA's career leader in 3-pointers.

Williams had four 3-pointers before Washington even made a basket, his fourth giving the Nets a 16-0 lead before Nene finally got Washington on the board. Williams answered right back with one, and then clearly realizing he was in the zone, pulled up from 25 feet on a fast break and nailed it to make it 22-2.

"He hit six 3s that quick. We wasn't making shots all night," Wizards guard John Wall said. "For him to six 3s and you're not scoring, three points add up quicker than two. That's 18 right there. It's kind of tough to get through that when you're not making any shots."

Evans had 11 points and a career-high 24 rebounds while making 5 of 16 free throws for the Nets, earning a standing ovation for his efforts.

Brook Lopez also scored 11 points the Nets, who go right back on the road Saturday for a big game at Atlanta, one of teams they are battling for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Wall had 16 points for the Wizards, who played without rookie guard Bradley Beal, their leading scorer, because of a sprained left ankle and lost for the fourth time in five games.

Brooklyn plays only four of its 15 games this month at home, with lengthy time away for the A-10 tournament and then the circus.

The Nets celebrated Latin Night on Friday, with starting lineups announced in Spanish, and then Williams treated fans to a performance that was simply en fuego.

He finally missed a jumper with 3:21 left in the first period and departed with 23 points, and the Nets led 38-14 after their highest-scoring first period of the season.

"Deron, he was hot like fish grease," Evans said. "He was hot, so he kind of kicked it off and we just kept it going throughout the game."

Williams checked back in with 7:17 remaining in the half and needed less than a minute to reach 8 for 8, and his streak ended when he was short on a step-back attempt from beyond the arc with 5:50 to go.

But when he struck again with 1:07 to go, he and the Wizards were deadlocked at 33, and he just missed outscoring them for the half when missed an open 3-pointer off an inbounds pass with 0.7 seconds to go.

"I hit the first couple and just they were those shots where when they leave your hand they feel like they're good, and so I just kept shooting them," Williams said.

Tracy McGrady is the last player to equal or surpass the opposing team in the first half when he outscored the Denver Nuggets 37-32 on March 9, 2003, according to STATS.

Washington cut Brooklyn's 59-33 halftime lead to 74-58 after three, and tried to get closer by intentionally fouling Evans, who came in shooting 50.4 percent at the line. He missed five in a row at one point, including an airball that might've been 2 feet short.

But with fans standing and booming chants of "Reggie! Reggie!" filling Barclays Center, he eventually hit two in a row on one trip before exiting.

"I was enjoying the moment, didn't matter if I missed it or made it and stuff, because I was already confident we were going to win the game," Evans said, "so I was just excited."

Williams then knocked down one more 3, equaling Stephen Curry for the most in the NBA this season, but couldn't add another.

"He put on a shooting show, the nine 3s that he hit," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "It's hard to get the ball out of his hands because he's in transition just coming up on the 3-point line. He got hot. I don't know if I've seen him quite like that before in a game.

"It was just a hell of a shooting display."

It was by far the best performance of the season for the two-time Olympian, who didn't even make the All-Star game after signing a five-year extension worth more than $98 million last summer and shooting only 30 percent on 3s before the new year.

But he's been back at his regular level since sitting out a pair of games last month to get treatment on his ankles.

The Nets came in averaging 10.1 3-pointers over the past nine games, but Williams got there himself. He finished 11 of 16 behind the arc, occasionally holding three fingers in the air as he headed back down the floor.

Notes

Williams' seven 3-pointers in the first quarter was one shy of the NBA record for a period, set by former Milwaukee All-Star Michael Redd, Williams' teammate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Vince Carter held the previous Nets record of nine 3-pointers, set against Memphis on Dec. 11, 2006.

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Report: Rose OK'd to play, but tells Bulls not yet

Derrick Rose's doctor has cleared the Chicago Bulls' star to play, a team source said, but his long-awaited return to the lineup won't occur until he can confidently dunk off his left foot, Rose has told the team.

...

The team is not pressuring Rose, the source said, but the Bulls are confident he will return this season and are still hoping for a mid-March return, which would mark 10 months after his surgery. The Bulls play at Golden State on March 15.

So now we get more of the "Why hasn't Derrick Rose returned yet?" conversations, which are fun and pointless. Let's go over this in bullets to make it plain:

The truth of the matter is Rose could return within a few days, or it could be a week. But we're getting closer, and that's a good thing for basketball fans. He'll get there when he gets there.

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Big East officially announces decision to split up

Big East officially announces decision to split - CBSSports.com .swear,.swearOn{display:none;}.swearOff{display:inline;} // hack to fix chrome warning from jqeury use of layerx/y until upgrade to 1.7.x$.event.props = $.event.props.join('|').replace('layerX|layerY|', '').split('|'); Register/LoginHelpShopTVRadioMobile TODAY ON CBS:
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Big East officially announces decision to split By Matt Norlander | Senior Blogger 12:27 PM ET March 08, 2013

On Friday, it became official: The Big East announced its forthcoming fracture.

Seven Catholic schools are leaving -- Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, Seton Hall, DePaul and St. John's -- and they're taking the Big East name with them to begin their own, new league on July 1. Those schools will officially be bringing in more teams in the near-future, and they will retain the rights to playing the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden for the foreseeable future.

That means Connecticut, Cincinnati, South Florida, as well as incoming programs Memphis, Temple, Central Florida, Houston, SMU and (in two years) Tulane are part of a league that's to-be-determined in both name and quorate. Louisville could also have a one-year holdover before moving to the ACC.

"I am pleased that this agreement has been reached," Big East commissioner Mike Aresco said. "With the long-term well-being of our outstanding institutions and their student-athletes of paramount importance, each group worked through a number of complex issues in an orderly, comprehensive and amicable manner marked by mutual respect. We part ways as friends and colleagues and look forward to the success of both conferences."

The news comes just a few days before the start of the Big East tournament. This will no doubt continue to be a major topic and a point of debate leading up to the NCAA tournament. Change is inevitable, but many still lament that it's reached this point, that football found a way to lay ruin to a basketball conference.

But, college hoops just got another (good) league, even if it's at the expense of the Big East's tradition. A league that was premiere for more than three decades isn't no more -- it's just changed. We can only hope for the better.

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All-Access to Feature Coverage of Patriot League Basketball Tournaments in March

 

Patriot League All-Access

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - There are only a handful of basketball games on Patriot League All-Access in March, but they are all big ones with the final contests of the regular season and parts of both the Men and Women's League Tournaments streamed live.

Fans purchasing All-Access for the monthly rate of $7.95 in March will get all of the basketball regular-season finales on Saturday, with the exception of the Army/Lehigh men's contest which will be shown on CBS Sports Network at Noon. The coverage continues with each of the four Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday and all four women's quarters next Thursday. The March basketball coverage wraps up on Patriot League All-Access with the women's semifinals on March 11.

All of the Patriot League Tournament games that are not shown on All-Access will be available on CBS Sports Network, including the men's semifinals (March 9, 2 and 4:30 p.m.) and championship (March 13, 7:30 p.m.) and the women's championship (March 16, 6 p.m).

Patriot League All-Access allows subscribers to see the live action of all available Patriot League basketball games as well as the archived content for past games.

The All-Access package is provided by the League and CBS Interactive. The cutting-edge technology takes viewers up close with multi-camera coverage. The package is in its seventh season and includes men and women's basketball games and a variety of Patriot League Championship events.

The Patriot League All-Access multimedia player has features that include expanded video navigation controls and advanced search functions. The on-page video player interface is compatible with Adobe Flash-enabled web browsers and offers a full-screen mode.

In addition to Patriot League basketball and Championship coverage, free content is available at All-Access with the news-format video Webcast "Patriot League Roundup" and "Top Plays" produced each week as well as installments of the new basketball feature "The Season" which follows teams from the League throughout the year.

The Patriot League continually demonstrates that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing its high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.

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Leopards Knock Off Colgate for Fourth Straight Win

Feb. 27, 2013

HAMILTON, N.Y. – Five Lafayette players scored in double figures as the Leopards picked up their fourth consecutive victory with an 80-67 win over Colgate on Wednesday evening at Cotterell Court. Tony Johnson scored 17 points to lead the way offensively for Lafayette, which hit 52 percent from the field and 11 three-pointers.

Lafayette (16-14, 9-4 Patriot) built a 10-point halftime lead it never relinquished, and survived multiple comeback attempts by Murphy Burnatowski (24 points) and the Raiders, who got within one possession multiple times in the second half.

Leading 64-61, a baseline jumper from Johnson with a hand in his face extended the lead to five, before Joey Ptasinski (12 points) drew an offensive foul on Burnatowski in the post. Johnson then fed Ptasinski for an easy deuce, Seth Hinrichs (15 points) added two on a follow and Bryce Scott (10 points) found Levi Giese open underneath to put Lafayette ahead 74-63 with two minutes left.

Johnson, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week, didn’t miss a beat in the game’s opening minutes, scoring six of Lafayette’s first eight points as the Leopards led 8-0 and forced Colgate to call timeout less than three minutes in. Colgate came back with an 8-2 spurt over the next two minutes, but Johnson’s three sparked a 9-2 stretch for Lafayette to make it 19-10 at 13:31.

Leading 21-13, Colgate closed within a point with seven in a row, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play inside by Graham Clayton. A pair of free throws by Dan Trist (14 points) stopped the run momentarily, but Clayton converted another and-one before Burnatowski’s three-pointer from the top of the key completed the Raiders’ 13-2 run.

Levi Giese’s second trey of the half tied the score at 26-26 at the seven minute mark, prior to Lafayette finishing the half on a 13-4 run to take a 41-31 lead into the locker room. Three-pointers by Hinrichs (15 points) and Les Smith began the scoring before Johnson finished the half with a layup and long two-point jumper to close the half for Lafayette, which connected on 16 of its 27 attempts (59.3 percent), including 6-of-10 from downtown.

Consecutive layups by Burnatowski and Luke Roh pulled Colgate within six points (49-43) at the 14 minute mark, prompting a Lafayette timeout. Following pair at the line from Hinrichs, Colgate put in the next five points but Ptasinksi drilled a wing three and Trist hit an elbow jumper to push the lead back to eight.

Burnatowski scored the next five points for Colgate, but Lafayette quickly scored eight straight, including a pair of threes by Hinrichs and Ptasinski. The Raiders refused to go away, though, as Burnatowski and Mitch Rolls each hit from deep to cut the deficit to three (64-61).

Lafayette then put together its 10-2 run to go ahead by 11, putting the game out of reach. Colgate got within seven, but Ptasinski, Hinrichs and Johnson each converted from the line and Lafayette held on for the 13-point win.

Lafayette wraps up its regular-season schedule on Saturday when it hosts American. Opening tip from Kirby Sports Center is slated for Noon and the game will air on the Lafayette Sports Network.

Game Notes:

Lafayette’s nine Patriot League victories are the most since 2004.
Lafayette matched its season low with six turnovers.

Johnson’s two steals moved him into sole possession of fourth all-time, passing Brian Ehlers ’00. He now has 157 career steals.  

The Leopards have won the last six meetings with Colgate.

Trist has scored in double digits in his last seven games.

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Patriot League Men's and Women's Basketball Quarterfinal Tickets On Sale

Feb. 28, 2013

WEST POINT, N.Y.  – With guaranteed finishes in the top four of the conference “the March to Madness” will begin at Christl Arena as the Army men’s and women’s basketball will serve as hosts for their respective Patriot League Tournament Quarterfinal games. Neither team has a determined opponent yet, but the Black Knight men (15-13, 8-5 PL) will play Wednesday night and the women (21-7, 10-3 PL) are scheduled for Thursday evening. Tipoff times have yet to be announced. Tickets for both games are now available for purchase.

For tickets, visit www.goARMYsports.com or call 1-877-TIX-ARMY. Fans can also stop by the ticket office at its new location at Gate 3 of Michie Stadium during its regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.). The Holleder Center ticket office, located just outside Christl Arena, opens for sales 90 minutes prior to home contests.

The Army men enter Saturday’s regular-season finale with a chance to finish as high as second in the league. A win at Lehigh coupled with a Lafayette loss versus American would create a three-way tie among the Black Knights, Leopards and Mountain Hawks. Army would take the No. 2 seed thanks to what would be a 3-1 record versus those two opponents.

The Army women are alone in second place heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Lehigh and still have a chance to score the top seed with a win over the Mountain Hawks accompanied by a Navy loss at Bucknell. The Black Knights have a three-game lead over third-place Holy Cross and American (7-6), as Army can finish no lower than second. The Black Knights could face any of three opponents; Bucknell and Lafayette are in a tie for sixth place with identical 4-9 records, while Colgate is in eighth with a 3-10 mark. Army swept the Bison and Leopards and split the season series with the Raiders.  

Women’s Pricing: Quarterfinals – Thursday, March 7; opponent TBA
Adult: $6
Student/Senior: $3
Courtside: $20*
*please note that for all interested, including current season ticket holders, please contact the ticket office at odiato@usma.edu to request
-Semifinals: Monday, March 11 ^tentative upon winning
-Championship: Sat, March 16 ^tentative upon winning

Men’s Pricing: Quarterfinals – Wednesday, March 6.; opponent TBA
Adult: $12
Student/Senior: $6
Courtside: $30*
*please note that for all interested, including current season ticket holders, please contact the ticket office at odiato@usma.edu to request
-Semifinals: Sat, March 9  ^tentative upon winning
-Championship: Weds, March 13  ^tentative upon winning

^Semifinal and Championship game information will be forthcoming pending the outcome of the Quarterfinal games (pricing will change should Army host a Championship game)

View the original article here

Patriot League Men's Basketball Gameday - Feb. 27

Feb. 27, 2013

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The final week of the Patriot League men's basketball regular season is here, and the seeding picture for the upcoming League Tournament could become even clearer after Wednesday's contests.

Bucknell goes for its third consecutive No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and outright regular-season title when it hosts American, while Army tries to secure the last home spot in the quarterfinal round when it welcomes Holy Cross. Lafayette and Lehigh come into the night tied for second place, with the Leopards paying a visit to Colgate and the Mountain Hawks hosting Navy.

All three games start at 7 p.m. and are available on Patriot League All-Access, with the direct links below.
American at Bucknell
Lafayette at Colgate
Navy at Lehigh
Holy Cross at Army

For the full release heading into Wednesday's games, go here. Also, follow updates throughout the evening on the Patriot League men's basketball Twitter account, @PL_MBB

Feb. 27

American Eagles (10-17, 5-7) at Bucknell Bison (23-5, 10-2)
Sojka Pavilion; Lewisburg, Pa. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV: WNEP2
American Game Notes | Bucknell Game Notes
Gameday Coverage: All-Access | GameTracker | Bucknell Audio

Lafayette Leopards (15-14, 8-4) at Colgate Raiders (11-18, 5-7)
Cotterell Court; Hamilton, N.Y. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Lafayette Game Notes | Colgate Game Notes
Gameday Coverage: All-Access | Live Stats | Colgate Audio

Navy Midshipmen (8-20, 2-10) at Lehigh Mountain Hawks (18-8, 8-4)
Stabler Arena; Bethlehem, Pa. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV: Service Electric 2 Sports
Navy Game Notes | Lehigh Game Notes
Gameday Coverage: All-Access | Live Stats | Lehigh Audio | Navy Audio

Holy Cross Crusaders (11-16, 3-9) at Army Black Knights (14-13, 7-5)
Christl Arena; West Point, N.Y. - Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Holy Cross Game Notes | Army Game Notes
Gameday Coverage: All-Access | GameTracker

View the original article here

Ticket Information: Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinal

Feb. 26, 2013

2013 Patriot League Tournament - Quarterfinal Round
Lafayette vs. TBD | Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - 7 p.m. ET | Kirby Sports Center, Easton, Pa. -- Order Online

Lafayette's allotment of tickets for the 2013 Patriot League men's basketball tournament quarterfinal round game being hosted by the Leopards at Kirby Sports Center are on sale now on a first-come, first-served basis. Lafayette students, season ticket holders, faculty and staff are being given first priority. Lafayette's opponent in the quarterfinal round will be determined by the outcomes of this week's contests throughout the Patriot League.

As directed by the Patriot League, ticket prices for the 7 p.m. contest on Wednesday, March 6 are $12 for adults and $6 for senior citizens and students with valid Lafayette I.D., plus a nominal convenience fee. There are no complimentary tickets and coupons or other offers are not valid for Patriot League Tournament contests.

Tickets can be purchased through GoLeopards.com, at the ticket office in Kirby Sports Center, or by contacting the ticket office via phone (610-330-5471) or email (tickets@lafayette.edu).

Lafayette's ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

View the original article here

Tickets Available for Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals

Feb. 28, 2013

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The four host sites have been determined for the Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday, and fans can begin buying their tickets to see the games at Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh and Army.

The Bison have secured the No. 1 seed in the League Tournament and home-court advantage in each round. Lafayette, Lehigh and Army are still battling it out for the No. 2 seed, with the Leopards holding the inside track and needing only a win over American on Saturday to claim the spot. If Lafayette loses, the Army/Lehigh winner would be the No. 2 seed.

One quarterfinal matchup is already set, as the Bison will host No. 8 Navy in the round for the second year in a row. That contest, as well as the games at Lafayette, Lehigh and Army, will tip off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and will be available through Patriot League All-Access

Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament tickets are available through the host schools. Information on purchasing tickets from the four quarterfinal hosts is included below. Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students, children and senior citizens.

Bucknell: Tickets may be purchased online at the box office over the phone at 570-577-1000 or by visiting the Weis Center Campus Box Office location.

Lafayette: Tickets can be purchased through GoLeopards.com, at the ticket office in Kirby Sports Center, or by contacting the ticket office via phone (610-330-5471) or email (tickets@lafayette.edu).

Lehigh: Tickets can be purchased by calling the Lehigh ticket office at 610-7LU-GAME (610-758-4263) or by going online here

Army: Tickets can be purcahsed by visiting www.goARMYsports.com or calling 1-877-TIX-ARMY. Fans can also stop by the ticket office at its new location at Gate 3 of Michie Stadium during its regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.). The Holleder Center ticket office, located just outside Christl Arena, opens for sales 90 minutes prior to home contests.

View the original article here

A Second Chance

Feb. 21, 2013

A Second Chance

 By Matt Dougherty, Patriot League Assistant Executive Director for Communications

 Note: The following story appears in the 2013 Patriot League Basketball Tournament program.

Shock waves were sent throughout the Patriot League when the word came out in the late spring of 2011 that Stephen Lumpkins would not be returning for his senior season at American.

 A team that had just finished 22-9 overall and 11-3 in the Patriot League was expected to be a top contender again, but Lumpkins had another path calling his name. He had just been selected in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals, and was ready to embark on a professional baseball career.

 Lumpkins appeared in 10 games for the Rookie Arizona League Royals in 2011, then threw in five more in 2012 before realizing that he needed a change in direction.

 "I was out in Arizona playing baseball and I had played about two seasons, and it wasn't really going as well as I thought it was going to go and I wasn't really making any progress," Lumpkins said. "I was going to come back to American regardless this year, even if it was just for a semester, to finish my degree."

 While Lumpkins knew he was done with baseball and knew he would come back to American to complete his degree, it was not as clear if he would return to the basketball court.

 "Towards the end of the baseball season, I was just emotionally done with it. I knew I was coming back to school, but I didn't know if I wanted to play basketball or not," he said. "I went back home and talked to my family a lot about what I wanted to do next. I went to the gym with my dad a few times and just kind of worked out. I kind of knew I wanted to come back to play basketball, but I just wanted to make sure because I had not played much in a year and a half. I got in contact with the coaches and one thing led to the next."

 Lumpkins' return did not get set into motion until July, meaning he had just over three months to get ready for the 2012-13 season and prepare to play collegiately for the first time in 20 months.

 "I think it was tough at first," he said. "I needed to get back and get my basketball skills back. I felt pretty good and it started to come back pretty quickly. I think a lot of it was just the conditioning and getting my body into doing basketball movements again. In baseball there really isn't as much running and activity as in basketball. I think my skills picked up faster than my conditioning."

 What he was coming back to was largely a different team than the one he left. Gone were standouts like Vlad Moldoveanu, Troy Brewer and Nick Hendra from the 2010-11 squad. But Lumpkins was able to transition back with some friendly faces that include a group of seven seniors for the Eagles in 2012-13.

 "It was a little bit different coming back," he said. "I had played with Danny Munoz a lot and remained in close contact with him while I was playing baseball, but a lot of the guys I was closest with on the team had graduated last year or even the year before. A lot of the guys on the team this year didn't even know who I was so it was a bit of a process in getting re-acclimated."

 Lumpkins' teammates would, however, now get the benefit of playing with a Patriot League champion. He played as a freshman when the Eagles won their second of two consecutive crowns in 2009, and learned from a group of veteran standouts like Derrick Mercer, Garrison Carr and Brian Gilmore. Now, it was Lumpkins' time to instill veteran experience for a group that has been stopped in the Patriot League semifinals for three years in a row.

 "Winning the Patriot League and winning a championship is really hard," he said. "My freshman year I got here and we won it, and it was a great experience. You don't really realize how hard it is until you go through it a couple of times and don't win it. My junior year we had a team that we thought had a very good chance to win the Patriot League, but we got upset by Lafayette in the semifinals. A lot of things have to go right and a lot of hard work goes into it to win."

 One area where Lumpkins' hard work has always shown up is on the boards. His return has led to an ascent up the Patriot League rebounding charts, with Lumpkins becoming just the fourth player in League history to crack 800 career rebounds and ending his career in the top three in the record book.

 "The biggest thing is just going for the ball," he said. "It's a learned skill, you just need to watch the ball and see where it's going to go off. As far as offensive rebounding, you just have to go every time. You're not going to get every rebound, but if you don't go then you're never going to get it."

 Of course, he had a good teacher to learn those types of skills at a young age. Stephen's dad, Larry, played collegiately at Northwestern University and showed his son the ropes early on.

 "My dad has been the biggest influence on my basketball career, we were always playing in the driveway and the backyard. I started playing when I was like 4 or 5 and I just always liked it and stayed with it," Lumpkins said.

 A Marketing major, Lumpkins is hoping for a career in a business-related field or a stint playing professional basketball after graduating from American. But first he hopes to finish his senior year the same way he started his career as a freshman.

 "Now that we're in Patriot League play I want to give my team the best chance to win every night. I want to win the Patriot League and go back to the NCAA Tournament one last time," he said.

That would be a fitting end to a second chance senior season.

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Army/Lehigh Selected as CBS Sports Network Telecast for March 2

Feb. 21, 2013 -

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Patriot League announced Thursday that the Army at Lehigh men's basketball contest has been selected to air on CBS Sports Network as part of the League's television package. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 2 at Noon EST.

The Mountain Hawks stand in second place in the Patriot League at 8-3, while the Black Knights have a 6-5 record in the League to hold fourth place. Lehigh has already clinched at least one home game in the Patriot League Tournament.

Lehigh and Army had an exciting matchup in their first meeting at West Point on Feb. 3, with the Mountain Hawks holding on for an 85-76 victory. Lehigh leads the Patriot League with 73.4 points per game, while Army is right behind with 72.8 points per contest for the year. Army's Ella Ellis (17.1 ppg) and Kyle Wilson (13.0 ppg) each rank in the top eight in the Patriot League in scoring, while Gabe Knutson (13.5 ppg), Mackey McKnight (12.5 ppg) and Holden Greiner (12.3 ppg) are all in the top 15 for the Mountain Hawks.

The rest of the Patriot League contests on March 2, the final day of the regular season, include American at Lafayette, Bucknell at Navy and Colgate at Holy Cross. Each of those games will be available through Patriot League All-Access.

Eight Patriot League men's basketball games have already been shown on CBS Sports Network this season, including three on consecutive days from Saturday-Monday. Patriot League action resumes on CBS Sports Network on Sunday when Lehigh visits Lafayette at Noon EST. After the Army/Lehigh regular-season finale, coverage on CBS Sports Network continues in the Patriot League Tournament with both semifinals on March 9 (2 and 4:30 p.m. EST) and the Patriot League Championship on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) is the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information on how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com

The Patriot League continually demonstrates that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing its high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.

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Army-Lehigh Selected For CBS Sports Network Broadcast

Feb. 22, 2013

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - The Patriot League announced this week that the Black Knights' regular-season finale at Lehigh on Saturday,  March 2 has been chosen for broadcast on CBS Sports Network as part of the league's television package. Tip-off is still set for 12 p.m.

The game will mark Army's third national television appearance of the season. Both of the Black Knights' contests with arch-rival Navy aired on CBS Sports Network.

The Army-Lehigh match up features the two highest-scoring teams in the Patriot League. The Mountain Hawks lead the conference with 73.4 points per game, while the Black Knights score 72.8 points per contest. Lehigh won the first meeting at West Point, 85-76. Army trailed by more than 20 in the first half, but came back to make it a five point game in the closing minutes.

After the regular-season finale, CBS Sports Network's coverage of the Patriot League continues in the postseason with both semifinals on March 9 (2 and 4:30 p.m. EST) and the Patriot League Championship on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. EST.

CBS Sports Network (CBSSN) is the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information on how to get CBS Sports Network, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

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Bucknell Men's Basketball Hosts Holy Cross Sunday at Noon on Senior Day

Feb. 22, 2013

WHAT: Holy Cross (11-15, 3-8 PL) at Bucknell (22-5, 9-2 PL)
WHERE: Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 24, 12 p.m. ET
LIVE WEBCAST: Bison Vision
RADIO: Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3 FM) and SportsJuice.com
HAPPENINGS: Senior Day (ceremony at 11:55 a.m.)
LIVE STATS: GameTracker
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format  

With a Win over Holy Cross, Bucknell Would ...
• ... improve to 10-2 in the Patriot League and maintain sole possession of first place in the Patriot League.
• ... clinch a top-two seed for the Patriot League Tournament, which would mean home-court advantage at least through the semifinals.
• ... improve to 23-5 on the season, which would equal the third-best 28-game record in program history (the 1983-84 and 2004-05 teams started 24-4).
• ... give the senior class a share of the record for most wins by one class (87).
• ... become the fourth team in Patriot League history to win 10+ league games three years in a row. The others are Lafayette (1998-00), Holy Cross (2005-07) and Bucknell (2005-07).
• ... tie the school record for most wins in a three-year period (73). The Bison won 73 games in 2004-05 (24), 2005-06 (27) and 2006-07 (22).
• ... sweep the season series with the Crusaders.
• ... improve to 10-1 at home this season.
• ... improve to 108-33 all-time at Sojka Pavilion and 74-15 at Sojka against Patriot League opponents.

Headlines
• Bucknell won a pivotal game at Lehigh on Monday to recapture sole possession of first place, and now the Bison begin a three-game drive for the regular-season title on Sunday afternoon against Holy Cross at Sojka Pavilion.
• At 9-2 in the Patriot League, Bucknell has a one-game lead over Lehigh and a two-game cushion over Lafayette with three contests remaining. The Bison have already clinched a first-round home game at the Patriot League Tournament, and they can lock up a top-two seed with a victory over Holy Cross. The Crusaders have lost seven of their last eight games to drop to 3-8 in the league. Holy Cross sits in seventh place, one game ahead of Navy and one behind Colgate.
• Through Thursday’s games, Bucknell is tied for 9th nationally with 22 victories and is the only team in the country with as many as 11 road wins.
• Bucknell in the rankings:
Associated Press Poll: NR
USA Today Coaches’ Poll: NR
CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll: 9
ESPN.com Mid-Major Poll: 6
RPI (from RPIforecast.com): 53
Ken Pomeroy computer ranking: 63
Jeff Sagarin computer ranking: 77
• Bryson Johnson and Mike Muscala were both recently named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team, and Muscala went on to earn national Academic All-America (third team) honors on Thursday. Muscala became Bucknell’s 123rd Academic All-American, fifth-most among all Division I programs. In addition, Muscala was recently named one of 10 national finalists for the Senior CLASS Award. Johnson and Muscala both made the Dean’s List in the fall semester, and they grabbed two of the five All-District spots.
• The Bison have been outstanding defensively this season. Opponents are averaging only 58.5 points per game, and Bucknell has held 19 of its last 25 foes under 40% shooting.
• Mike Muscala is in the midst of an outstanding senior year for the Bison, and he has garnered frequent national mentions throughout the season. An All-America and NBA Draft candidate, Muscala leads the Bison in scoring (19.1), rebounding (11.5), assists (2.6), blocks (2.7) and FG% (.517). He leads the league in scoring, rebounding and blocks and ranks in the top 25 nationally in each of those categories (3rd reb., 24th pts., 19th blk.).
• Muscala is the only player in the country averaging at least 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. And there are only three players in all of Division I basketball who are leading his team in points, rebounds, assists and blocked shots. They are Muscala, Princeton’s Ian Hummer and Towson’s Jarelle Benimon. Muscala leads the nation with 19 double-doubles.
• Muscala recorded his 1,000th career rebound last week, putting him in the exclusive 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound club. Muscala is the second Bucknell player ever to record 1,000 rebounds (Hal Danzig had 1,134 from 1956-59), and he joined former Colgate star Adonal Foyle as the only Patriot Leaguers ever to reach that milestone.
• Cameron Ayers (12.4), Bryson Johnson (11.6) and Joe Willman (10.4) are also scoring in double figures for the Bison, who average 67.4 ppg. Johnson is coming off a 19-point, 5-assist performance in the win over Lehigh.
• Ayers is on 1,000-point watch. He is 21 points shy of that milestone, which would give Bucknell four 1,000-point scorers on the same team for the first time in program history.
• The Bison opened the campaign with wins over Purdue and George Mason, and then swept Niagara, New Mexico State and West Alabama at the Niagara Subregional of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Wounded Warrior Project. Bucknell won all three of those games by double figures and improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2005-06. The first loss of the season came at Penn State on Nov. 23. The only other setbacks have come at the hands of Princeton, Missouri and Lehigh.
• Bucknell returned four starters and 11 lettermen from last year’s 25-10 squad. The lone graduated starter was 6’5” guard Bryan Cohen, who won each of the last three Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year awards. Despite that loss, the experienced Bison start three seniors and two juniors. Bucknell has used the same starting five in every game this season, and that quintet has a combined 562 career games played.
• Holy Cross is led by junior center Dave Dudzinski, who averages 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Dudzinski had a big game against the Bison in Worcester earlier this season, scoring 26 points. Sophomore point guard Justin Burrell (12.6 ppg) is the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
• From the “We Know How It Feels” Department, Holy Cross is coming off a 79-76 loss to Lafayette, with Tony Johnson hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left. One game earlier, Johnson scored with 4.5 seconds left to give the Leopards a 63-62 victory over Bucknell.

How to Get the Game
• The Bucknell-Holy Cross game will not be televised, however a live webcast will be available on Bison Vision via BucknellBison.com and on Patriot League All-Access via Patriot League.com.
• The game can be heard in the Susquehanna Valley on the radio on Eagle 107 (WEGH 107.3 FM), with Doug Birdsong and Terry Conrad describing the action. The pregame show begins 30 minutes before tip-off.
• The audio feed is available online free of charge via BucknellBison.com and SportsJuice.com.
• Live statistics are available on GameTracker at BucknellBison.com.
• Be sure to follow @BisonSports on Twitter for in-game updates.

Bucknell vs. Holy Cross
The Bucknell-Holy Cross rivalry has been one of the league’s best through the years. Some of the highlights:
• The Bison and Crusaders have combined to win seven of the last 12 Patriot League titles.
• These two teams have met in 13 of the 22 Patriot League Tournaments, including four times in the championship game. Bucknell defeated Holy Cross in the 2005 and 2006 title tilts, while the Crusaders topped the Bison in the final in 1993 and 2007.
• The Bison and Crusaders had never met until the formation of the Patriot League in 1990-91, but this will be the 59th meeting in 23 years.
• Bucknell leads the series 32-26. The road team has won six of the last 13, including Holy Cross’ upset of the Bison in the 2010 Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals at Sojka Pavilion.
• Bucknell is 15-10 against Holy Cross in Lewisburg and 8-4 at Sojka Pavilion. Bucknell is 13-13 vs. Holy Cross at the Hart Center, with one of the wins coming in the 2005 Patriot League championship game.
• Bucknell head coach Dave Paulsen is 7-5 against Holy Cross, including his Williams College team’s 78-71 upset of the Crusaders at the Hart Center on Dec. 4, 2003.
• The Bison and Crusaders split a pair of meetings last season, with the home team winning each time. At Sojka Pavilion Bucknell recorded its most one-sided win ever against Holy Cross, 75-41. Cameron Ayers led the way with 13 points, while Mike Muscala had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Bucknell was faced with a similar situation as this year in the rematch at Holy Cross, coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Lehigh. In that one the Bison trailed 28-10 at the half and by as many as 19 points in the second half. But the Crusaders had to hold on for dear life as Bucknell charged all the way back within two before falling short 54-52. Muscala had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bison, while Justin Burrell led Holy Cross with 15.
• Back on Jan. 26 at the Hart Center, Bucknell outlasted Holy Cross 65-58 behind 16 points apiece from Joe Willman and Bryson Johnson and 13 points and 11 boards from Muscala. Bucknell held Holy Cross to 34.0% shooting, although the Crusaders received 26 points from Dave Dudzinski.

Patriot League Success
• Bucknell is 209-96 (.685) all-time in Patriot League regular-season games, the best record of any league team. They have finished at least .500 in PL play in 18 of 22 seasons (and are guaranteed at least a .500 finish this year).
• Bucknell has won the last two Patriot League regular-season titles, and it is trying to become the first team to win three outright titles in a row.
• The Bison went 13-1 in the league in 2011 and 12-2 last year, making them 25-3 over those two seasons. Dating back to mid-2010, Bucknell has won 42 of its last 49 league games.
• Bucknell won Patriot League Tournament titles in 2005, 2006 and 2011. The Bison have made it to the semifinals 17 times and to the championship game nine times in the 22-year history of the league.
• The Bison are the only team to go unbeaten in league play in a season (14-0 in 2006).

Senior Salute
• Prior to Sunday’s game against Holy Cross, the Bucknell men’s basketball program will honor seniors Bryson Johnson, Colin Klebon, Mike Muscala and Joe Willman. Managers Zach Kriftcher, Bob Manning and Eric Martin will also be recognized.
• The Class of 2013 has an overall record of 86-41 (.677) and a Patriot League record of 43-10 (.811).
• The Class of 2013 has 86 wins, one shy of the Bucknell record of 87 wins currently held by the Class of 2007, which featured Abe Badmus, Donald Brown, John Clark and Chris McNaughton.
• This class has been part of teams that have won a Patriot League Tournament title and two Patriot League regular-season titles. They have competed in an NCAA Tournament and an NIT.
• This class has combined for 435 games played, 4,419 points and 1,962 rebounds over the last four years.
• The trio of Muscala, Johnson and Willman have played in 379 of a possible 381 combined games over the last four seasons.
• The senior class combined for a 3.53 GPA in the fall semester.

Last Time Out
• Bucknell got hot from long range at just the right time, hitting five straight 3-pointers in a key stretch of the second half to defeat Lehigh 61-55 at Stabler Arena on Monday. Bryson Johnson hit three of those treys and reserve Ben Brackney hit the other two. Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, and Mike Muscala added 12 points and nine rebounds despite sitting out most of the first half with foul trouble.
• Bucknell’s bench was the key to victory. In addition to Brackney’s aforementioned 3-pointers, Brian Fitzpatrick came in with Muscala sidelined with two early fouls and produced six points and nine rebounds in the first half alone. He grabbed another board in the second half and finished the night with a career-high 10 rebounds. Steven Kaspar equalled his career high with seven assists off the bench, and Ryan Frazier scored a key basket on a drive to the hoop with 2:43 to play, and he played strong defense on Lehigh’s talented point guard Mackey McKnight down the stretch.
• This game was a complete reversal from the first meeting at Sojka Pavilion, when Lehigh won 65-62. In that contest, the Mountain Hawks went 10-for-18 from 3-point range, while the Bison were just 2-for-14. This time, Bucknell went 6-for-17 from the arc, including the five straight makes in the second half, while Lehigh was just 1-for-15.
• The Bison committed only three second-half turnovers and had just eight for the game, while Lehigh turned it over only four times.
• Bucknell outrebounded Lehigh 42-35.
• Both teams struggled at the free-throw line. The Bison started the game 10-for-11 but went just 1-for-6 in the final 3:20 to keep Lehigh in the game. Meanwhile the Mountain Hawks made only 6 of 15 charity tosses.

20-20-20 Vision
• Bucknell is coming off its first-ever back-to-back 25-win seasons, and now the Bison have made it three straight 20-win campaigns. This is the second time in program history that the team has produced three straight 20-win seasons. The other stretch was 2004-05 (24), 2005-06 (27) and 2006-07 (22).
• The program record for victories in consecutive years is 51, set in 2004-05 (24) and 2005-06 (27).
• The program record for wins over a three-year span is 73, set from 2004-07 (24, 27, 22). The current squad needs one more win to equal that mark.

Who’s Got Next?
• Bucknell will play its final regular-season home game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against American. That contest will be televised live on WNEP2 in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
• Bucknell defeated American 56-55 on Mike Muscala’s put-back with 0.8 seconds to play back on Jan. 30 in Washington, D.C.

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Bucknell's Mike Muscala Earns Capital One Academic All-America Honors

Feb. 21, 2013

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior men's basketball standout Mike Muscala (Roseville, Minn./Roseville) has already enjoyed a decorated career at Bucknell, and on Thursday he added another major accolade when he was named to the national Capital One Academic All-America Team. A two-time Academic All-District selection, Muscala earned Academic All-America honors for the first time, and he becomes Bucknell's 123rd all-time Academic All-American, fifth-most among all Division I programs.

A standout both in the classroom and on the basketball court, Muscala was named to the Academic All-America Third Team, joining many of the top stars in college basketball this season. The first team honorees are Indiana's Cody Zeller, Duke's Mason Plumlee, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, Brown's Matthew Sullivan and Ohio State's Aaron Craft, who was named the Academic All-American of the Year.

Second Team honorees include Ben Averkamp of Loyola (Ill.), Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's, Nathan Healy of Appalachian State, Peyton Siva of Louisville and Andrew Smith of Butler. Muscala was joined on the Third Team by Indiana's Jordan Hills, Santa Clara's Marc Trasolini, Montana's Mathais Ward and Campbell's Darren White.

Muscala is the ninth Bucknell men's basketball student-athlete to make the national Academic All-America Team, and the first since Valter Karavanic made it in back-to-back years in 1998 and 1999.

In order to be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, be a starter or key reserve, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or better.

Muscala, a management major with a 3.36 GPA, made the Academic All-District team as a sophomore in 2010-11 when he was also the Patriot League Player of the Year. Muscala was named to the five-man Academic All-Patriot League Team last season, and this year he is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and for their character and service in the community. Muscala was also a Dean's List honoree this fall.

Muscala is in the midst of a sensational senior year, and he is stamping his name as one of the top players in Bucknell and Patriot League history. The 6'11" senior leads the league in scoring (19.1), rebounding (11.5) and blocked shots (2.7), and he also leads the team in assists with 71. He is one of only three players in the nation leading his team in all four of those categories, and he is the only Division I player in the country averaging at least 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Muscala also leads the country in double-doubles with 19, and he ranks third nationally in rebounding.

Muscala recently joined the exclusive 1,000-rebound club, making him only the second player in Bucknell and Patriot League history to reach that milestone. On Bucknell's all-time charts, Muscala ranks second in scoring (1,916), second in rebounding (1,025) and second in blocks (263). In Patriot League history, he ranks fifth in points and second in both rebounds and blocks.

A six-time Patriot League Player of the Week this season, Muscala has helped lead the Bison into first place in the Patriot League standings with three games remaining. Now 22-5 overall and 9-2 in the Patriot League, Bucknell has a one-game lead over Lehigh and a two-game cushion over Lafayette.

Bucknell hosts Holy Cross at noon on Sunday. Muscala and fellow seniors Bryson Johnson, Colin Klebon and Joe Willman will be honored prior to the contest as part of Senior Day activities.

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Bucknell's Muscala Named Third-Team Academic All-American

Feb. 21, 2013

Capital One Men's Basketball Academic All-America Team

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Bucknell senior Mike Muscala added to his lengthy list of accolades on Thursday when he was named a Capital One Men's Basketball Third-Team Academic All-American.

Muscala becomes just the sixth Patriot League men's basketball student-athlete to receive the honor, and earns the eighth overall selection from the League. He is only the second Patriot League student-athlete honored as a Men's Basketball Academic All-American in the past 13 years.

A standout both in the classroom and on the basketball court, Muscala joined many of the top stars in college basketball this season as an Academic All-American. The first team honorees are Indiana's Cody Zeller, Duke's Mason Plumlee, Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, Brown's Matthew Sullivan and Ohio State's Aaron Craft, who was named the Academic All-American of the Year. Second-Team honorees include Ben Averkamp of Loyola (Ill.), Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's, Nathan Healy of Appalachian State, Peyton Siva of Louisville and Andrew Smith of Butler. Muscala was joined on the Third Team by Indiana's Jordan Hills, Santa Clara's Marc Trasolini, Montana's Mathais Ward and Campbell's Darren White.

In order to be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore, be a starter or key reserve, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or better. Voting was conducted by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Muscala, a Management major with a 3.36 GPA, made the Academic All-District team last month after also doing so as a sophomore in 2010-11. He was named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team each of the last two seasons, and this year he is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes for their success on the court, in the classroom and for their character and service in the community. Lehigh senior C.J. McCollum is also among the 10 finalists for that honor.

Muscala is in the midst of a sensational senior year, and he is stamping his name as one of the top players in Bucknell and Patriot League history. He leads the Patriot League in scoring (19.1), rebounding (11.5) and blocked shots (2.7), and he also leads the Bison in assists with 71. He is one of only three players in the nation leading his team in all four of those categories, and he is the only Division I player in the country averaging at least 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. Muscala also leads the country in double-doubles with 19, and he ranks third nationally in rebounding.

Muscala recently joined the exclusive 1,000-rebound club, making him only the second player in Bucknell and Patriot League history to reach that milestone. On Bucknell's all-time charts, Muscala ranks second in scoring (1,916), second in rebounding (1,025) and second in blocks (263). In Patriot League history, he ranks fifth in points and second in both rebounds and blocks.

A six-time Patriot League Player of the Week this season, Muscala has helped lead the Bison into first place in the Patriot League standings with three games remaining. Now 22-5 overall and 9-2 in the Patriot League, Bucknell has a one-game lead over Lehigh and a two-game cushion over Lafayette. The Bison are back in action on Sunday at Noon at home against Holy Cross.

For the full Capital One Men's Basketball Academic All-America team and release, go here

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Driving Restrictions for Lafayette-Lehigh Basketball

Feb. 22, 2013

EASTON, Pa. - On Sunday, Feb. 24, the 700 block of Pierce Street between Hamilton St. and Coleman Street (directly in front of Kirby Sports Center) will be closed from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. to accommodate television production trucks for the Lafayette-Lehigh men’s basketball game televised by CBS Sports Network.

Fans are urged to park on Markle Parking Deck for the event.

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Dunbar Takes the Ball for Navy

Feb. 22, 2013

Dunbar Takes the Ball for Navy
By Matt Dougherty, Patriot League Assistant Executive Director for Communications

Note: The following story appears in the 2013 Patriot League Basketball Tournament program.

After going 3-26 overall and 0-14 in the Patriot League last season, a young Navy team had the task of bouncing back with a roster that includes no seniors.

On a team looking for a leader, a freshman came through to take the ball and lead the Mids back to respectability in 2012-13.

Tilman Dunbar, a 5-foot-10, 153-point point guard from Woodbrige, Va., burst on the scene to help the Mids to a 6-6 record early in the season and win four consecutive Patriot League Anaconda Rookie of the Week awards in December and January. He has been one of the Mids' top scorers all season, and ranks among the leaders in the Patriot League and all freshmen nationally in assists.

While it would seem overwhelming to have the keys to the offense as a freshman, playing at a high level was nothing new to Dunbar. His high school, Paul VI Catholic, finished No. 16 in the USA Today Super 25 last season after spending much of the year in the top 10. The team finished 35-3 and won the WCAC League Championship, the Virginia Independent Schools state title and a Washington, D.C. city title as Dunbar averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Along with Dunbar, four other players from the team have moved on to Division I programs.

"It was definitely fun, especially since when I got there we were not really that good," Dunbar said. "We built from scratch and it turned into a national program. Just the winning culture and being able to play some of the top schools and players in the country and finishing the season as one of the top teams in the country was the best part."

Now, Dunbar faces the same building challenge at Navy. Nearly all of the Mids' top scorers are freshmen and sophomores, and the team is learning to grow together and, Dunbar hopes, becoming better for it.

"We've become closer over the season on and off the court," he said. "At the beginning of the year there were so many new faces and we didn't really know how each other played or know each other's personalities. But now that we've spent more time together since the summer we are learning how to play as a group more game by game to know how we feel on the court and where people like the ball.

He also said, "The teams in the Patriot League are really good. But I still think our team has a good shot to get some wins under our belt and make a run heading into the postseason. I think we can compete with anybody in this league. Most of the great players are juniors and seniors so they know how to win, and we're still really learning how to win."

One of the highlights of the building process came on Jan. 20, when Navy went on the road in front of a capacity crowd in a nationally-televised game and knocked off Army 59-50 in West Point. Dunbar had six points, six rebounds and three assists on an off shooting night, but found a way to help the Mids break a 16-game Patriot League losing skid.

"The Army-Navy rivalry was real fun, especially seeing that atmosphere with two military academies going at it," he said. "There was so much tradition, and especially since we came out with the win it was a great experience and I'm glad I'm a part of it."

Dunbar chose to be a part of everything the Naval Academy offers because he felt at home with the school and the coaching staff, led by Head Coach Ed DeChellis.

"The coaching staff is really good and that really drew me in," he said. "The facilities and the campus are really beautiful and on top of that it's a great education and atmosphere overall. They teach you to become a leader with all of the military aspects so I just thought it was a perfect fit."

As a student, athlete and part of the Brigade of Midshipmen, the transition after high school has included more factors for Dunbar than most other freshmen.

"The hardest part is the travel during the week," he said. "In high school all of our games were on the weekend, and if we traveled during the week we were back the same night. So missing a day or two of school is the hardest challenge academically to stay on task and not fall behind in classes. I just try to get a good feel with the teachers and make sure I'm up to date on all of my work."

To top it all off, Dunbar's transition also featured something that very few college basketball players can say: starting at point guard as a freshman.

"It's a hard transition since the point guard has to be almost like the coach on the floor and has the most important job since the ball goes in my hands," he said. "I have the quickest learning curve because as the point guard goes the team goes. I have to limit my mistakes on the court to be as successful as possible. It was hard the first couple of months because of the change of speeds, but overall I think it has gone pretty well."

Dunbar believes the arduous task of starting at point guard as a freshmen has been eased by his help from the coaching staff.

"They've helped me grow in my game and helped all of us get better as a team day by day," he said. "I definitely feel like I have improved tremendously since I set foot on this campus and I wouldn't want to have any other coaching staff."

While the coaching staff is in its second year, and the team is mostly composed of players under the age of 21, Dunbar sees building blocks in place to be a contender in the Patriot League in his career.

"In school just to graduate is my first goal," he said. "But I want to win one or even two Patriot League championships and I think we can achieve that in the next couple of years."

While that climb will not be easy, Dunbar figures to hold the keys to Navy's success by having the ball in his hands.

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