Patrick Behan scored a career-high 17 points, but Bucknell dug itself a big hole with a tough offensive showing in the first half and fell 64-55 to a veteran Wagner team Saturday afternoon at Spiro Sports Center. Joey Mundweiler scored a career-high 25 to lead the Seahawks to their second straight win and third in five games to start the year.
John Griffin scored nine points and freshman center Todd O’Brien equaled his career high with eight points and three blocked shots for the Bison, who fell to 2-2.
Mark Porter had 12 points and eight assists and James Ulrich had 11 points for Wagner. Leading scorer Durell Vinson, who came in averaging 18.0 points per game, was held to two points on 1-for-7 shooting, but he did have 13 rebounds, 11 coming in the first half.
After knocking down a school-record 15 3-point shots in its most recent outing at Villanova, Bucknell struggled mightily offensively in the first half, connecting on only 5 of 27 shots, 1 of 11 from 3-point range.
That lone 3-pointer from Griffin closed what had been a nine-point deficit to just four at 17-13 with 6:03 left in the half, but Wagner finished on a 12-0 run to take a 29-13 lead into the break.
Mundweiler hit three 3-pointers and two other long jumpers to account for 13 of Wagner’s first 17 points. Vinson’s only hoop with 4:37 left in the half started Wagner’s pivotal run. Ulrich followed with a short jumper and Porter scored five straight points to make it 26-13. An alley-oop jam by Jamal Smith and a free throw by Ulrich made it 29-13.
Bucknell mounted a spirited comeback attempt early in the second stanza, scoring seven straight points to pull within 10. O’Brien scored and got fouled, then after he missed the free throw he tipped in Behan’s missed put-back to make it 32-22. Mundweiler stopped the run with his fifth 3-pointer of the half, and Wagner restored a 15-point lead at 43-28 on Smith’s tip-in with 13:12 left.
It was still a 15-point game at 52-37 at the six-minute mark when Behan’s 3-point play ignited a 7-0 run. The Bison pulled within seven on three occasions, but each time Wagner had an answer. Behan’s off-balance elbow jumper made it 55-48 with 2:00 to play, but Porter followed with a layup.
G.W. Boon’s tip-in with 1:32 left made it 57-50, but Ulrich scored inside and drew a foul, and Wagner added another point with 1:09 left when Llewchean Radford rebounded the missed free throw and was fouled.
After missing his first nine shots of the night, Justin Castleberry drained a right-corner 3-pointer to make it 60-53 with 1:03 left, but the Seahawks went 4-for-6 from the line in the final 42 seconds to seal the win.
Bucknell scored 26 of its 42 second-half points in the paint and finished at 34.4 percent from the field after the frigid first-half showing. The Bison were 3-for-20 from 3-point range.
The Bison again received strong games from its freshman class. In addition to O’Brien’s eight points, six rebounds and three blocks, G.W. Boon had seven points and six rebounds, while Darryl Shazier logged six points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Bucknell is back in action on Wednesday at home against Marist in the first game of a three-game homestand.
Source: Bucknell Men’s Basketball Can’t Overcome Slow Start, Falls 64-55 at Wagner
