The Bucknell Bison (12-7, 6-1) defeated the Loyola men’s basketball team 71-68 in Sojka Pavilion. With the loss, the Greyhounds fell to 7-13 and dropped below .500 in Patriot League play (3-4). Loyola erased multiple double-digit deficits, tying the game late, but three last-second free throws gave the Bison the lead and the win.

Despite the loss, several Greyhounds put out strong performances on the road against a formidable league opponent. Andrew Kostecka ’20, put up a game-high 26 points on 56 percent shooting along with a career-best seven assists. Point guard Isaiah Hart ’21, scored an efficient 15 points, and first-year Jaylen Andrews added 10, his second game in a row with double figures. Casmir Ochiaka ’22, contributed on both ends, scoring a career-high seven points with four rebounds and two blocks.

Bucknell started out hot, jumping out to a 15-point lead in the first half. They made seven out of the 11 3-point shots and 48 percent of field goals, an efficient offensive effort. The speedy backcourt of Kostecka and Hart got their points, but overall, shooting was just 34% from the field in the first half.

The second half was a different story, as Loyola shot 60 percent on field goals and got key contributions from Andrews, Ochiaka, and KaVaughn Scott ’20. Bucknell’s early success from beyond the arc did not translate into the second half, as they sank just three out of12 shots. Loyola cut the deficit to one, 59-58, with 7:55 left in the game but then were held scoreless for the next five minutes. The deficit once again expanded to double digits at 68-58 with 2:57 left.

The Hounds then went on a timely 10-0 run, consisting of 3-pointers by Andrews and Hart and a traditional 3-point play from Kostecka. Scott (five points) hit a free throw to tie the game at 68 apiece with 35 seconds to go. Bucknell’s Jimmy Sotos missed a 3-pointer with 5.8 to go but was fouled. He sank the three free throws to give the Bison the lead, and Bucknell made the final stop to hold on to a score of 71-68.

On Saturday, Jan. 26 the Hounds were able to bounce back from the loss with an overtime win against Colgate. The team now has a 4-4 Patriot League record and hope to add to their wins on Wednesday, Jan. 30 against American at Reitz Arena.

Feature image courtesy of Craig Chase