The men’s basketball team clinched a share of the regular season title after a 78-69 Senior Day victory over Boston University on Feb. 22. After that, the Bison’s five-game winning streak came to an end following a 84-65 loss at Lehigh on Feb. 25. A win at American or a Colgate loss this weekend will lock the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the Bison.

“It’s hard to believe it is coming to an end after four years being a part of this school and basketball program,” Cory Starkey ’15 said. “It has truly been an honor and blessing to represent this institution and I couldn’t have been happier with my decision to come to Bucknell.”

Joshea Singleton ’15, Steven Kaspar ’15, and Starkey were honored before the game against Boston. All three players are striving for their second NCAA Tournament berth in four years.

“Going to the NCAA tournament two years ago will always stick with me just because it is something you dream about doing as a kid,” Kaspar said. “Being out there on the court battling with my teammates day after day is something I will never forget.”

Chris Hass ’16 had another spectacular game against Boston with 20 points and a 4-7 showing from the three-point range. Nana Foulland ’18 dominated the paint by scoring 17 points, building the Bison’s 34-20 edge in points in the paint.

The bench was also very productive with 29 points compared to the Terriers’ seven. The Bison also held Boston to one offensive rebound.

“It’s great to have a win on Senior Day,” Kaspar said. “It’s just one of those special days that I know will always stick with me and it makes it even better that it guaranteed us a share of the regular season championship.”

Hass got the Bison off to another hot start by draining his first two three-point attempts off assists from Zach Thomas ’18 and Stephen Brown ’18. J.C. Show ’18 was also connecting from downtown and nailed two three-pointers in the first half, as the Bison cruised to a 38-28 lead at halftime.

The Orange and Blue maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half. Several players contributed to this effort including Ben Oberfeld ’17, whose four free throws in the one-and-one kept the momentum in favor of the Bison. Dom Hoffman ’16 was another key contributor who added seven points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Show buried his third and final trey with 12:16 left to bolster the Bison’s lead to 21. The Terriers eventually cut the deficit to nine in the final minute, but solid all-around play from the Bison gave the seniors a final regular season home victory.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better place to play basketball for four years,” Starkey said. “Being able to have my parents at the game and being able to come away with a win made it an unforgettable day.”

“I have to say that the things that I will most likely miss most about Bucknell are just the times hanging out with the guys,” Kaspar said. “We make such tight friendships playing a sport together and going through all that goes along with being an athlete.”

Against Lehigh, the Bison struggled to get into any offensive flow, as the Mountain Hawks engineered a huge lead throughout the game. A 25-8 opening run by Lehigh gave it the cushion it needed to grab the victory. Foulland was the leading Bison scorer with 15 points. Kaspar had a solid all-around game with six points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

With major playoff implications, the Bison’s last regular season game will be on Feb. 28 at American. The Bison will host the Patriot League Quarterfinals on March 5 at 7 p.m.