Bison Men’s Basketball ended American’s seven-game win streak last week in an epic showdown. Their home win marks their sixth straight in Sojka and moves them higher in the Patriot League rankings.
Noah Williamson ’26 led the charge with his third straight double-double, putting up 18 points and 12 rebounds on the day. Josh Bascoe ’25 took on an important role in the game, as well, dishing out seven assists and 14 points.
The last time the team took on American it was the turning point of their season. Since that game on Jan. 11, the Orange and Blue have been averaging nearly 80 points a game and shooting about 50 percent from the field.
Both teams started neck and neck in the first half. The score was 12-8 before Bascoe found Achile Spadone ’26 for a three-pointer. Bascoe then got a layup off an inbounds plan, followed by a bucket from Williamson and within minutes the Bison were up 19-8. Josh Fulton ’26 added a layup himself as the clock hit 9:44 minutes. The Bison’s double-digit lead would stick for the rest of the game.
The Bison led by as much as 20 points after a 2-on-1 fast break from Spadone, finished by Bascoe. As the quarter went on, the Bison made a run to put them up 29 points.
Overall, against American, the Bison shot 60 percent. Spadone finished with 11 points. They also outrebounded American 27-21.
The Orange and Blue hit the road the following Saturday for a tough matchup against Army. Both teams performed well offensively, shooting over 50 percent.
Army took control of the game in the first period, leading by as much as 13 points. The Black Knights couldn’t miss a shot, while the Bison struggled to get the ball in the basket.
The Bison managed to pull within six before the halftime mark. Pip Ajayi ’25, Fulton and Bascoe each contributed to a 7-0 run to close the gap. The score sat at 46-40 at halftime. Their first lead of the game wouldn’t come until Williamson hit a three with 12:30 left on the clock. Spadone added two free throws to further their lead. However, Army got hot from deep and hit three quick buckets, regaining the lead. Williamson cut the gap to one after a layup but consecutive turnovers fueled the Black Knights run.
As time ticked down and the score stayed close, both teams made back-to-back buckets in attempts to win the game. Once the Bison were within two, Williamson tied it up with a reverse layup with only 16 seconds left in play. Neither team managed to score before time ran out and as a result, would head into overtime.
The first overtime saw both teams swapping baskets. At 99-99, the clock only had 26 seconds left. In another failed attempt to win at the buzzer, the Bison would head into a second overtime. Bascoe and Williamson combined to get the team up 105-102. However, Army capitalized on missed threes from the Orange and Blue. After an 8-0 Army run and ten straight free throws, the Bison were unable to recover. The final score was 116-110, the team’s highest-scoring game ever. This would also mark their eighth overtime game of the season, tied with the NCAA record.
Williamson finished with 29 points, Bascoe with 25, Spadone with 17, and Elvin Edmons IV ’25 with 12. Spadone also grabbed eight rebounds and ended with six assists.
The Bison will hit the road again on Saturday, Feb. 15 for a matchup against Lafayette.
