Bucknell Men’s Basketball increased their win streak to eight after taking down both Lafayette and Lehigh this past week.
They first faced Lafayette away on Saturday afternoon. The Leopards took the first lead of the game and were up 14-9 seven minutes in. The Bison responded with a three from Ruot Bijek ’26 and five points from Brandon McCreesh ’27 to put them up. As time ticked down in the first half, the Bison managed to grab a 32-25 lead. However, Lafayette crept closer, and as the halftime buzzer sounded the Bison only led 32-30.
As the second half started, both teams stayed pretty even. With the score at 40-37, Lafayette sank a three-pointer to tie up the game. On the next scoring possession, Josh Bascoe ’25 found McCreesh on the drive for a three to break the tie.
The Bison continued to make their shots throughout the second half. They made an impressive 13-for-17 from the court. The Bison forced a Lafeyette timeout after a major 19-3 run, consisting of a 3-pointer from Elvin Edmonds IV ’25, an elbow jumper from Bascoe and a layup from Noah Williamson ’26. Following the timeout, Achile Spadone ’26 intercepted a pass, resulting in a successful fast break layup to put the Orange and Blue up 62-45.
With about seven minutes left in regulation, the Bison began to struggle offensively. Lafayette took advantage and had a 15-3 run of their own, many points coming from fouls.
As the clock counted down to the final minute of the game, the Bison only led 67-62. Clutch free-throw shooting kept them afloat. Jayden Williams ’28, Williamson and McCreesh made their shots when it mattered most. The Bison won 75-69. At the free throw line, the Orange and Blue finished 11-for-12 compared to Lafayette’s 18-for-31.
Williamson led the team with eight rebounds and 24 points. McCreesh finished with 14 points and Bascoe with a respectable eight points and eight assists.
Overall, the team shot 51.9% and dominated the boards with 35 rebounds in comparison to the Leopards’ 29.
Only a few days later, the Bison faced Lehigh at home in front of a roaring crowd. Lehigh took control of the start of the game, jumping to a double-digit lead only nine minutes in. Edmonds was the first Bison to score after the team’s nine missed attempts. This would kickstart a 23-6 run for the Bison before the half closed out. The Bison managed to tie the game at 21-21 after a three-pointer from Bijek. Lehigh broke the tie momentarily, but the Bison managed to respond with a three and a layup from Williamson. After a three from Bascoe, the Bison led 29-25 heading into halftime and would keep the lead for the remainder of the game.
Williamson, who has been leading the team with double-digit points in most recent games, scored 18 of his points in the second half. He scored the team’s first eight points with four straight baskets and forced a Lehigh timeout after a baseline-to-baseline layup. The Orange and Blue continued to outscore Lehigh 37-8 and pushed their lead up to 65-45. Williamson ended his scoring with two back-to-back dunks, assisted by Williams. The game ended with a score of 67-50.
Williamson led again with 25 points, his 11th 20-point game this season. The Bison shot 46.3% on the day and collected 40 rebounds. This marks the team’s eighth home win and moves them up to second place in the Patriot League.
The Bison will celebrate their seniors as they host Army this Sunday, Feb. 23.
