Army might be a bit relieved to see the crowd. After playing here to a full house Saturday, they see a lot of empty seats where the American and Lafayette fans were for the first game. Many of them apparently not sticking around for the nightcap.

Rich Giallella one of the three officials tonight, prompting Corky Blake of the Express-Times to ask if Giallella has earned a Bucknell varsity letter this season.

A more veteran crew than he worked with in the many other games we have seen him. Perhaps that will keep him from feeling he has to make every call.

While there are those empty seats we mentioned, there are not many of them, and none are in the student section.

The biggest BU pep band of the season, with the possible exception of the Northern Iowa game, on hand.

Bucknell 6, Army 4 (14:51 first)
Bison set the defensive tone early, forcing a turnover on Army's first possession.

Charles Lee already with 2 rebounds, a block and he just hit a 19 foot jumper for Bucknell's sixth point.

Army with three team fouls so far, Bucknell with none.

Bucknell 9, Army 6 (11:54 first)
Bison players with T.P. R.I.P. on their socks in marker, honoring 11-year-old Tylor Pfeiffer, a Bucknell ball boy who died in a tragic house fire Monday in nearby Trevorton.

Both teams 3-10 from the field so far.

Army 16, Bucknell 13 (5:50 first)
Lee, the league's Player of the Year, struggling offensively. Just missed a layup and is 1-5 from the field. Bucknell shooting 9 treys already, making just 2. They are 5 for 18 from the field, 27.8 percent.

Army 7 for 17 from the field (41.2 percent).

Army 21, Bucknell 19 (3:41 first)
Bucknell retook the lead on a foul line jumper by McNaughton, but Matt Bell put Army back up with his second three of the game. Seconds later he picked up his third personal. Charles lee at the line after the time out.

McNaughton on fire, 4 for 4, including two foul line jumpers. But Kevin Bettencourt and Lee are a combined 2 for 9 so far.

Army has 6 turnovers, Bucknell 2. Army winning on the boards 13-11.

Bucknell 25, Army 21 (1:27 first)
Bison on a 6-0 run, 4 from Donald Brown.

Bucknell now shooting 40.9 percent (9-22) , Army at 39.1 percent (9-23)

Bucknell 30, Army 23 (Halftime)
After a slow start, Bucknell hitting on all cylinders the last 3:41 of the half, outscoring Army 11-2 in that span.

McNaughton leading all scorers with 10 points. He is 5 for 6 from the field, the lone miss a three-point try at the end of the half.

Bucknell at the half, 11 of 25 (44 percent) from the field.

Army 41.7 percent (10 of 24). Bell leads the Black Knights with 6.

Team fouls in the first half: Army 9, Bucknell 2.
Turnovers: Army 9, Bucknell 3.
Bison with 7 steals.

Hurting Bucknell, a 5-10 showing at the foul line.

Bucknell 36, Army 26 (15:52 to play)
Talk about wanting it more, In one sequence around the 16 minute mark, the Bison hit the floor three times in scrambles for loose balls after an Army turnover. Then, after a missed shot, the Bison got the offensive rebound, resulting in a pair of free throws for Brown, who hit the first, missed the second, only to have a teammate grab the offensive rebound, eventually resulting in another Army foul, the Black Knights' fourth, sending Charles Lee to the line, where he made one of two.

Bucknell 41, Army 33 (11:30 to play)
Bucknell just 2 of 6 from the field the first 8 minutes of the half. But the Bison have shot 8 free throws already, making 6.

Abe Badmus finally took the open three that Army has been giving him all night and knocked it down.

Meanwhile, no sooner had Rich Giallella actually got one right, conferring with Joe DeMayo after DeMayo wrongly called a ball out of bounds off Army, than he blew a similar call on a ball that went off an Army players back under the Bison basket but was given to Army anyhow.

Army hanging around thanks to two threes by Jarell Brown and two buckets inside by Doug Williams in the second half, accounting for all 10 Army points.

Bucknell 48, Army 37 (8:05 left)
Army pulled to within 4, 41-37, on back to back buckets by Bell. Then Bucknell responded with 7 unanswered to push the lead to double digits.

The little run went like this: Bettencourt jumper and one. Badmus steal and layup, Lee 10 foot runner. Bettencourt now has 11, McNaughton 12, Lee and Donald Brown each with 7.

J. Brown and Bell with 10 each for Army.

Bucknell 55, Army 37 (3:34 left)
Bucknell on a 14-0 run. Army has not scored in 6:28.
Lee heating up, he has 7 of Bucknell's last 9, including his first trey of the evening,. Now in doubles with 12 points.

Bucknell 55, Army 43 (2:08 left)
A moonshot rainbow J by John Moonshower with 3:12 left ends the Army drought. Bell followed with a three to cut Bucknell's lead to 12.

Both teams shooting identical 18 of 42 from the field, but Bucknell is 14-24 from the line and Army has not shot a free throw.

Bucknell 59, Army 47 FINAL
The usual suspects finish in double figures for Bucknell -- McNaughton (14), Bettencourt (13), Lee (12).

Bucknell shoots 19-43 from the field (44.2 percent), including 5 of 16 from three. The Black Knights 20-47 (42.6 percent), 7-18 from three.

The big difference: Bucknell 16-26 at the foul line. Army did not shoot a free throw.
Rebounds: Bucknell 31, Army 26
Turnovers: Bucknell 11, Army 17
Steals: Bucknell 15, Army 2
For Army, Matt Bell with 13, J. Brown with 10.