(Originally posted Wed. night at 9:21 p.m., updated with links at 7:17 a.m.)

Looking for a soundtrack for Bucknell's 69-49 win Wednesday evening over Lafayette, just cue the Bachman Turner Overdrive.

It was a Taking Care of Business kind of game for the No. 24 ranked Bison, who came into Lafayette's Kirby Sports Center with a bullseye on their backs and left with their 12th straight win after a workmanlike effort that was all steady and little spectacular, save for a handful of dunks by Charles Lee and Donald Brown.

The game had all the makings of a trap game, with the Bison riding their long win streak and a first-time ever national ranking, coming into a game against an opponent that has been little more than a speed bump throughout most of the current Bucknell roster's careers.

Pat Flannnery acknowledged as much after the game. "This was one we really had to focus on because we travel this weekend," said Flannery, conspicuously avoiding mentioning the BracketBusters by name.

Bucknell did all the things it has done most of the season. They shot the ball well, hitting 26 of 45 (57.8 percent) from the field, put four guys in double figures, and played their usual tough defense, holding Lafayette to 30 percent for the game (15 of 50). The only thing that kept Lafayette from becoming the seventh team the Bison have held under 30 percent this season was an Andrew Brown three-pointer at the buzzer when he was the only starter for either team still on the floor.

It was the seventh time this season that Bucknell held an opponent under 50 points, the second time they did that against Lafayette. It was the 17th time the Bison, ranked third in the nation in defense, held an opponent below 40 percent from the field.

"Every shot I took was contested," said Lafayette's Andrei Capusan, who came into the game ranked second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 57.3 percent. Capusan finished with 12 points, but they did not come easy. He shot 4-for-13 from the field and only had a pair of field goals after hitting two quick buckets in teh first 3:17 of the game.

Bilal Abdullah also reached double figures, scoring 10 points. Abdullah was 3 for 5 from the arc. The rest of Lafayette's shooters were a combined 5 for 21 from three-point range.

"Against a good team, you think that you are open and they close out pretty fast so your shots are a little rushed. You have to give them credit, they are not ranked third in the country for nothing," Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon said.

Offensively, the Bison did the things they needed to do to win on their seventh straight on the road. They got good balance, with four players in double figures, moved the ball well (15 assists) and, for a change, avoided the kind of slow start that has been worrisome in recent weeks away from Sojka Pavilion.

It did take Bucknell about four minutes to figure out Lafayette's zone, but once it was solved, they put on a clinic, especially in the final 9:30 of the first half, when they broke open a 17-17 tie with an 18-3 run, holding Lafayette to a single field goal in that stretch.

"We have seen so much man to man. We just haven't seen (zone) that much. It got us standing around a little bit," Flannery said. "We were a lot better after the four minute mark than we have been."

Bucknell also dominated on the boards, out rebounding Lafayette 44-23.

Charles Lee led the attack, grabbing 11 rebounds to complete a double-double. Lee had 14 points. Kevin Bettencourt also had 14 for the Bison, going 5 for 7 from the field, 4 for 6 from the arc. Chris McNaughton, who was limited to 23 minutes by foul trouble, added 12 points and helped his ranking as the league's top field goal shooter with a 5 for 7 night. Donald Brown had identical numbers off the bench

The only blemish on the victory was Bucknell's 23 turnovers, its most all season.

"I hate 23 turnovers. You can't play that way," said Flannery.

Hard to say which Flannery hated more, the turnovers, or the team's ranking written in soap on a window of the bus when it picked them up in Lewisburg.

"The coaching staff got a broom and wiped it off. That 's the last thing we were going to come down to Lafayette in. It's great that the fans are like that, but I am glad the kids are rooted," Flannery said.

"It's great to be ranked and stuff. We obviously feel pretty good about it and we should. But it doesn't change anything about the way we play on teh court," McNaughton said.

The Bison will step out of the Patriot League Saturday when they head to Northern Iowa for an ESPN BracketBusters matchup on national television. Lafayette will face another tough challenge when they travel down I-78 to meet their archrivals from Lehigh, who entered the night one game behind Bucknell in the loss column.

BISON CHIPS: BU's Donald Brown got hit with a technical in the first half . . . What did Brown do to draw ref Rich Giallella's ire? Apparently Giallella was offended that Brown would not retrieve the ball after he was whistled for a personal foul . . . Brown insisted after the game he never even opened his mouth and teammates backed that account . . . Bucknell's 21-3 start equals the school's best ever 24-game record, set in the 1983-84 season . . . Bucknell's 12-0 mark in league play is the best start in league history . . . the win was the Bison's 16th straight against league foes, dating to last season . . . The win was Bucknell's 11th on the road this season, tying a school record . . . The 12-game win streak is Bucknell's longest since 1919.

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