Xavier University
Bucknell
Bucknell Nips Xavier 68-67
12.20.06 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2006
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| Notes and Quotes
CINCINNATI - Freshman wing Derrick Brown scored a career-high 13 points but the Musketeers could not overcome Bucknell's barrage from long-range as the Xavier University men's basketball team dropped a thrilling 68-67 decision to the defending Patriot League champs on Wednesday evening at Cintas Center. With the loss XU slips to 8-4 on the year while the Bison improve to 5-5.
Junior guard Stanley Burrell broke out of a mini-slump to score 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
Xavier trailed 62-59 with 3:50 remaining in regulation but the Musketeers sprinted out to a 6-0 mini-run over the next 2:04 to open up a 65-62 lead at the 1:56 mark. Brown gave XU its first lead of the game when he converted on a driving lay-up at the 2:30 mark and junior guard Drew Lavender hit a pair of free throws to cap the 6-0 spurt.
Bucknell would reclaim the lead on the ensuing possession when John Griffin nailed a 3-pointer at the 1:40 mark but Lavender came through with a driving lay-up with 1:37 left, putting XU ahead by a 67-65 count.
Bison guard Jason Vegotsky would answer with his second 3-pointer of the night to give Bucknell a 68-67 lead it would not relinquish. XU failed to score on its next possession but got a big stop on the other end and had the ball with 20-seconds remaining.
Senior forward Justin Doellman could not convert on a driving, left-handed runner though and the Musketeers were forced to foul with under five-seconds left.
Bison forward Donald Brown missed his free throw attempt but the Musketeers were unable to get a shot up after corralling the rebound.
Bucknell was unconscious from deep, converting on 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from beyond the arc and shot a solid 54.3 percent (25-of-46) overall on the night. After a cold-shooting first half XU shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the floor in the second half.
XU also shot 79.2 percent from the free throw line and was 10-of-11 (90.9 percent) from the charity stripe in the second session.
Brown's career high came on 5-of-7 shooting and he also blocked three shots for Xavier. Junior forward Josh Duncan was the third Musketeer in double-figures with 15 points.
XU stumbled out of the gate, connecting on only one of its first 11 free throws and allowing the Bison to construct a 14-4 lead with 10:20 remaining in the first half. Bucknell extended its lead to 11 points, 27-16, after Donald Brown made a pair of free throws at the 5:40 mark.
The Musketeers regrouped though and charged out to a 9-2 run over the next 2:30 and pulled to within four points, 29-25, with 3:10 left in the first stanza.
The Musketeers return to the hardwood on Friday, December 29 when the team plays host to Illinois at US Bank Arena in downtown Cincinnati. Game time is set for 9 p.m. and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
