NCAA
Bucknell 78, Navy 57
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
With snow on the way, Bucknell wasted little time putting Navy on ice as sophomore guard Chris Hass led a balanced attack with 15 points to help the Bison to a 78-57 victory Wednesday in Lewisburg, Pa.
In a game that was moved up an hour because of an incoming snowstorm, senior forward Brian Fitzpatrick had 14 points and seven rebounds and sophomore forward Dom Hoffman scored all 14 of his points in the first half and had eight rebounds for Bucknell (11-13, 6-7 Patriot League).
Senior guard Cameron Ayres contributed 13 points and junior guard Steven Kaspar had 10 assists, nine rebounds and four steals as the Bison took control early and were never seriously challenged on their way to avenging a 62-61 defeat last month in Annapolis, which snapped their eight-game winning streak over the Midshipmen.
Coming off its most decisive conference win in five years, 79-57, over Army, Navy (8-16, 3-10) was dominated on the boards 38-27 and committed 18 turnovers to eight for Bucknell. The Midshipmen got 15 points and six rebounds from junior guard Brandon Venturini, who hit 5 of 8 shots from beyond the arc.
Five minutes into the game Navy had a 9-8 lead. But Bucknell responded with the next nine points to take the lead for good. Ayres started the run with a 3-pointer and Hass followed with a pair of jumpers. Late in the half, Hass hit two 3-pointers and Hoffman added two field goal during a 10-0 run. When Ayres finished the half with a 3-pointer, Bucknell had a 44-21 lead.
Navy scored the first six points of the second half, but Bucknell answered with an 11-0 run, triggered by two baskets by Hass and followed with a pair of layups by freshman center Ben Oberfeld as the Bison lead reached 28 points, matching their biggest of the night.
